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specimens that I have found is nearly a fac-simile of a bird’s 
beak, with a slight comb, and the head of a snake. 
bird’s-beak and snake’s-head flint weapons. 
A bird’s-beak or snake’s-head flint weapon, with numerous 
modifications, became a distinct weapon, which nearly every 
man appears to have carried in addition to his sling- stones. 
But very few persons were capable of chipping the imita- 
tion of a bird’s head or snake’s head out of a flint core 
accurately, and this pattern is consequently very scarce. 
The most common modification was a simple open triangle, 
or one angle of an open, square piece of flat flint, with the 
end that was intended to be attached to the handle left 
rough, the other end either pointed or left blunt, or squared. 
They also inserted a simple beak into a knobbed stick, which 
made the most formidable weapon. The beak was one or 
two inches long, thin, narrow, and sharp at the point, and 
excellent chipping is shown in this description of beak ; on 
this account I consider it one of the latest improvements. 
I look upon this weapon as the best substitute for the sword 
which the aboriginal people possessed. The stone knob was 
heavy enough to kill with a single blow on the head, and the 
beak would inflict a deadly wound if it penetrated the skull 
or the breast. 
SPEARS. 
The spear is so well known which is made of steel that 
we are naturally inclined to presume it was one of the most 
common and effective weapons that the ancient Britons 
possessed ; but I find this is far from having been the case. 
Its origin was, no doubt, a pointed shaft of wood, which 
subsequently was made a more dangerous weapon by substi- 
tuting a point of flint, in precisely the same form as the 
arrow. But the first three tribes who inhabited the neigh- 
bourhood of Bridlington were by no means satisfied with the 
