22 Bulletin Santa Barbara Society of Natural History. Vol. I. 



He also refers to several such bullets in the British 

 Museum from Assyria and Camirus, made of hematite, 

 loadstone, and granite. 



Having given the various theories which have been 

 advanced by different writers on this subject, we will 

 proceed to take up and consider the six different uses 

 which might have been made of these implements. 



(i) As sling-shots. — It is not probable that the In- 

 dians would have spent so much time and labor in the 

 manufacture of these implements for such purposes 

 when the beds of streams and other places would 

 furnish abundance of water-worn pebbles. 



The Indians of Lake County, Cal., now manufac- 

 ture balls of clay, sun-dried, which as sling-stones furn- 

 ish very effective missiles for killing ducks and other 

 small rame. 



Stones intended for use as sling-stones would prob- 

 ably have been made of more uniform size and shape, 

 whereas the so-called plummets are remarkably var- 

 iable in these particulars, for in this State the artists 

 seem to have taxed their ingenuity in making each 

 and every one different in form from all the others, as 

 scarcely any two are exactly alike, as may be seen in 

 Fig. 13, which shows the spheroid shape of one ex- 

 treme, and Fig. 6 the spindle shape of the other ex- 

 treme, between which all imaginable forms and varia- 

 tions occur. 



Figs. 1 or 6 would not be convenient, or, in any case, 

 practical implements for such purposes. 



(2) As sinkers for fishing tackle. — The arguments 

 used against the probable use of these implements as 

 sling-stones will apply with the same force against their 

 use as sinkers. Stones which would answer the pur- 

 pose equally well can be picked up when wanted for 

 use, and it is not probable that they would have bur- 

 dened themselves with extra weight while traveling 

 from place to place. 



(3) For playing some game. — The varied forms of 

 these implements preclude the probability of their hav- 

 been used for such purpose, as all games requires pie- 



