1865.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 79 



the sides of the cut are torn and have a fibrous appearance, as might 

 be made by a rather blunt gouge in dryish clay. Was the flint in a 

 different state when these arrows were made, and hardened afterwards ? 

 Well, a few days ago, I came across a specimen most delicately 

 marked in two places. The mark is more than J of an inch long and 

 under a magnifying glass is most clear. 



" No. 1, looks like a number of semicircular bands conical in section 

 punched into the stone by some such instrument as this : — [Ideal 

 sketch of supposed instruments^ 



" That represented in No. 2 is most curious, 2 most perfect cones left 

 in the centre of 2 intersecting circles punched into the flint. One cone 

 has been chipped on one side. This was done by a circular punch or 

 by two operations with the semicircular one for each cone. The age 

 of these implements is I think proved by, 1st, their presence in the 

 granitic and sandstone formations, and 2ndly by the fracture of a num- 

 ber of the white bleached ones, which in section, show a core of the 

 original coloured flint, with its bleached outer surface. Many of these 

 bleached thicknesses are fully \ of an inch. 



" I have also shewn one in Fig. B. How long it takes to bleach flint 

 is of course a matter of doubt, but Sir Charles Lyell seems to think 

 some 1000 years are necessary at the surface of the earth and under 

 the influence of no extraordinary chemical action. 



" I have made enquiries amongst the natives and Gronds, and can get 

 not even a tradition on the subject of these curiosities. They all 

 pronounce them to be natural or ' Khuda ne banaya.' 



" The subject is one of considerable importance at the present stage of 

 scientific enquiry, and connected with the discoveries of the flint imple- 

 ments found in the Engis and Neanderthal caves, the valley of the 

 Somme, and in England, the two cases of specimens, (the first 

 ever sent from India !) which I have sent home, will attract considerable 

 attention and interest. 



" I have written to the Royal Asiatic Society in Bombay on the sub- 

 ject, but only a short note asking for information." 



Mr. Blanford thought that the specimens exhibited clicl not admit of 

 any decided inference as to their artificial character. They were 

 certainly not arrow heads, but bore near resemblance to ' cores' from 

 which splinters had been chipped off to serve either as arrow heads or 



