34 



THE ATLANTIC SLOPE NATURALIST. 



scientific purposes. The study of bird 

 life by means of the opera glass is to be 

 commended, and of recent years I have 

 confined my own studies in Ornithology 

 entirely to observation. With the ex- 

 ception of an eagle I shot three years 

 ago I have not killed a bird for cabinet 

 purposes for many years. 



I think, however, the majority of 

 Ornithologists avail themselves of their 

 opportunities in collecting rare birds or 

 eggs. 



To carry out literally Mr. Minehan's 

 recommendations we would unquestion- 

 ably pass by new species through in- 

 ability to make as careful examination 

 as a closer inspection would afford. 

 What say your readers in this issue ? 

 Very respectfully, 



Alfred R. Justice. 



Prehistoric Hammers of Michigan. 



By Morris Gibbs, M. D., Kalamazoo, Mich. 



In the May-June issue of The Atlan- 

 tic Slope Naturalist reference is 

 made to a box of stone sledge-hammers 

 from a pile of 1300 found in Missouri. 

 These are reported to be made from 

 black hematite and showing no other 

 finish than a simple groove about the 

 middle for the holding of the stone in 

 place probably at the end of the handle. 



We have many of this same class of 

 so-called sledges in Michigan and more 

 particularly north of the 46th parallel. 

 There are many sections in this state 

 where sledges may be found but they are 

 very common in the Upper Peninsular 

 and are not to be found in many quarters 

 in Southern Michigan. I know of one 

 field on the Kalamazoo river between the 

 42nd and 43rd parallels, perhaps a battle- 

 field, where over one thousand flint arrow 

 and spear heads have been gathered and 

 yet not a stone axe, so-called, or sledge 

 has ever been taken from the field. This 

 would seem to indicate that certain tribes 

 did not make use of axes and sledges, at 

 least to any great extent, while the thou- 

 sands of arrow and spear points prove 

 that the early tribes used them in the 

 chase and as well, probably, in warfare. 



Many well-formed axes have been found 

 in our state but the so-called hammers or 

 sledges are the roughest kind of imple- 

 ments imaginable, being simple small 

 stones from five to eight inches long and 

 eight to twelve inches in circumference, 

 with a groove fashioned about the middle 

 where it is probable that a withe bound 

 them to the handle. This groove is gen- 

 erally well defined but is often barely to 

 be detected. These implements are gen- 

 erally more or less battered and chipped 

 and are formed from common hard-head 

 of drab, greenish or brownish hues and 

 are never made from conglomerate, gran- 

 ite or any flaky material. What were 

 these implements used for? We do not 

 know ; but it is reasonable to suppose 

 that they were used in warfare probably 

 as other tribes used the more artistic and 

 shapely stone axe. but it is fair to judge 

 that the tribes which made the shapely 

 axe seldom if ever made use of the rough 

 sledge, for it has been # shown generally 

 that where one style is common that the 

 other is rare. 



The Smoking of Red-willow Bark by- 

 the American Aborigines. 



In the last number of The Atlantic 

 Slope Naturalist among the "An- 

 thropological Notes " on page 20 it was 

 stated that Dr. Washington Matthews, in 

 the American Anthropologist for January- 

 March, 1903, announced that it was his 

 opinion that the American Indians did 

 not use the bark of the red willow for 

 smoking as they are considered to have 

 done ever since their manners, habits, 

 and customs have been investigated by 

 numerous travelers, naturalists and an- 

 thropologists. 



Since the publication of the note re- 

 ferred to in The Atlantic Slope 

 Naturalist the writer has been the 

 recipient of several communicatons which 

 perhaps may throw some light on this 

 interesting subject. 



Under the date of June 13th, 1903, Mr. 



J. Alden Loring, of Owego, N. V., wrote 

 as follows: 



