96 V. Ball — Perforated Stone from the Satpura Hills. [April, 



comparison, and Ins departure for Yarkand has, I believe, prevented him from 

 fulfilling his intention. 



Camp, Satpura Rills, Srd March, 1874. 



J^ote. — Since writing the above, I have had an opportunity of com- 

 paring m}^ specimen with the types from Vizagapatam in the Museum, and 

 assuring myself of the identity of the species. Curiously I find that Mr. 

 Wood-Mason has recently received specimens of the same species from 

 Mr. Lockwood of Monghyr who obtained them in the Karakpur Hills, thus 

 shewing this little animal to have a very extended range throughout Conti- 

 nental India. A specimen of Tupaia from Assam kindly lent to me for 

 examination by Dr. Day, appears to be identical with the Burmese species 

 Feguana, Less. It was obtained by Dr. Jerdon at Darjiling, so might natur- 

 ally have been looked for in Assam. 



Calcutta, 15th March, 1874. 



4. On an ancient Perforated Stone found in the Satpura Hills, — 

 By V. Ball, Esq., M. A. 



I take this opportunity of exhibiting to the meeting a very curious 

 perforated stone which was found last February on the surface at the 

 Mopani coal mines in the district of Narsingpur, Central Provinces. The 

 accompanying sketch (Plate V,) will convey an idea of the appearance of 

 this object better than any description could. 



It is a water-worn pebble of basalt, weighing 1ft. 10 oz. The central 

 perforation is bevelled away to both faces, a feature which has been 

 observed in some of the perforated stones found with ancient stone imple- 

 ments in other parts of the world. Thus, in a work on Lacustrine 

 dwellings of the lake of Neufchatel by M. E. Desor,* a figure is given of a 

 stone which only differs from the one now exhibited in being very much 

 smaller. M. Desor says, that with objects of the Bronze period, these 

 discs occur too, but then they are made of baked clay. He supposes that 

 they were used as v/eights for spindles. The specimen I exhibit is not only 

 too heavy to have been used for that purpose ; but the ease, with which the 

 finger, when passed through the perforation, rests against the bevelled sides, 

 and the firm grasp of the stone which becomes thereby possible, suggest 

 that it was used as a hammer. It may even have been used as a kind of 

 *' knuckle-duster" in encounters with men or wild beasts ; or for flinging 

 like a quoit at small animals. 



As it is important that all discoveries of ancient stone implements 

 should be recorded, I add that last year, in the Ranigunj coal field, I found 

 lying on a laterite- strewn surface, a well formed quartzite axe of the ordi- 



* " Les Palafittes ou Constructions Lacustres du lac de Neufchatel, par E. Desor." 



