212 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Fli>~t Implements en Yorkshire. — Sir, — I enclose you a few specimens 

 which I picked up last summer, and which, until I read your article in *• The 

 Geologist," I regarded as arrow-heads ; but as I find no exact representation 

 of them either in your Diagram or "The Geologist," I am disposed to 

 think otherwise. The flint curiosities I enclose for your inspection I found at 

 Timber, in the East Riding of Yorkshire ; they are to be met with lying in situ, 

 associated with other flints of our ploughed lands. They are easily recognized 

 by the great contrast in appearance to the natural flints of the upper chalk of 

 our wolds, which are nearly black, whereas the flints from our chalk strata or 

 seams possess a colour much lighter, which you will see from the enclosed ; 

 besides, the black flints show sufficient evidence of having been chipped by 

 hand for some use or other. 



It is well to remark, where these black flints are found by me in this locality, 

 numerous " dykes" are contiguous (which run in different directions), hence it 

 is probable they may have been used as sling-stones by the warriors who 

 cast up these lengthy and stupendous earthworks, if it can be proved that 

 such missiles were used by the ancient Britons. Secondly, it may not be 

 amiss to suggest Were these flints used by the aborigines in obtaining fire ? 

 I only throw out these suggestions, for the dark-coloured flints have peculiari- 

 ties different from our own district flints, ?nd therefore our conclusion is that 

 they must have been imported from some other chalk-region, where the flints 

 are of such darker hue, either as implements for war, or for producing a light 

 by concussion. It is well to notice, too, that these black flints are picked 

 up and considered as containing within themselves the most fire ; we can well 

 remember, in our time, these dark-flints being searched for to produce lights 

 before the invention of the lucifer-matches. Again supposing these flints 

 either to have been in use as " sling-stones" or fire-flints in the days of the 

 ancient Britons, it is not at all improbable that they may be found some 

 feet below the surface at Holderness, buried there by the sediments 

 left by exceedingly high tides long previous to the great drainage being 

 effected to keep the sea-water from inundating that district. 



Last spring we took a trip to Springbank, a place near Beverley, to see a 

 boring-operation going on for an artesian well, and wldlst soliciting information 

 on a few geological topics, we were told by one of the workmen that a few 

 broken smoking-pipes were brought up by the steam boring apparatus, a speci- 

 men of which I have now in my possession. It has a thick head or bowl 

 and stopper corresponding. A question might arise how have these pipes been 

 embedded so deep in the earth ! 



In addition to the sling-stones or fire-flints, I Lave enclosed one which has 

 a resemblance to an arrow-head, which I found in the same locality. These 

 flints may have heen used for both purposes, as then structure indicates. — Yours 

 &c, IIobt. Mortimer. 



New Lingula Fossils. — Dear Sir, — I have just received several new 

 species from the Lingula flags of North TTales, including a perfect specimen 

 ( -!' A mostus venulosus. This fossil is the characteristic species of the alum-slates 

 of Sweden, and supposed to be exclusively confined to them, and only very 

 recently found in Great Britain, — also two new species of Asaphus, A. innotatus, 

 and ./. 8tygius s also Theca operculata, with operculum, which are very rare, and 

 a now bivalve. 



1 have since heard of some other new species of shells from the Lingula- 

 beds, but have not yet received any.— Yours faithfully, James R. Gregory. 



