168 PERFORATED STONES. 



ability of these stones being in part applied to the same purpose in Cali- 

 fornia as elsewhere ; and as they are known to have been used for several 

 purposes, among others as weights to digging-sticks, in other parts of the 

 world, some may have been so used in California, as stated by the Indian 

 to Mr. Schumacher. Still, the simple statement of this Indian should not. 

 be received without due caution until it is confirmed by other evidence. 



The second stone of cylindrical form (P. M. 14799) is from the island 

 of Santa Catalina, and is of talcose slate, or " serpentine." In diameter it 

 is a quarter of an inch larger than the one just described. The hole is 

 also slightly larger, tapers but little towards its centre, and shows signs of 

 long-continued use. The surface at one end of the hole is highly polished. 

 In weight this stone is about equal to the one last described, and they 

 were both probably used for the same purpose. 



The third example of this group (P. M. 14801) was found with the one 

 last described ; but it differs from it in several particulars, and is of much 

 smaller size, as it is only 1 J to 2 inches in diameter and about 2 inches in 

 height, measured from end to end of the perforation, which is rudely made, 

 and tapering, and in its narrowest part is only one-half of an inch wide. It 

 is of the same kind of steatite as that of which the large cooking-pots were 

 made, but is not formed with the degree of symmetry characteristic of 

 most of the specimens ; and unless made for some such purpose as a net- 

 sinker, its small size and rude workmanship may indicate that it was a toy, 

 or, perhaps, the first attempt of an inexperienced workman. 



From the graves on the island of San Clemente Mr. Schumacher ob- 

 tained twenty-two of these perforated stones, one of which (P. M. 13520, 

 Fig. 47) is unlike any of the others, inasmuch as it is oval in form, and 

 has a groove about a quarter of an inch wide and half as deep cut around 

 the central portion of its surface. As in so many of the other specimens, 

 about a third of the surface of one end around the hole is much polished, 

 and this part is stained by the red pigment, of which a considerable quan- 

 tity was obtained from the graves. The stone is hard quartzite, and must 

 have been difficult to work into its present symmetrical form. The per- 

 foration does not show signs of having been made by boring, which would 

 have been a difficult matter, and it was probably made by pecking and 



