THE TASMANIAN NATURALIST. 
men, took it to their marest ramp, in 
or<ter to finish it. This being so ‘is proved 
by the fact that in the old cauipa unfin¬ 
ished specimens were found, tog-tour 
with elaborately worked specimens. Of 
course, it is also probable that some 
specimens were finished at once, but this 
was apparently not the cu-iUmi, other¬ 
wise more specimens of elaborate finish 
which had been rejected ought to 
be found. It is remarkable to say 
tnat if we find a specimen exhibi¬ 
ting a smooth, even face, which 
could have well served as a pollieal 
face,* we may be certain that it also 
shows a more or less elaborate chip¬ 
ping on the indiealt face. Very numer¬ 
ous are angular fragments showing marks 
of percussion, such as shown in Fig. 1. p.l(i. 
This figure shows an extens.ve mark of 
percussion. The upper end of this spe¬ 
cimen rlimra •di~M'notly itlni'i a heavy 
blow with another instrument (stone) 
had been directed against it. Hut this 
blow failed to achieve its object; in¬ 
stead of breaking off a smooth flake 
its force was spent in shattering the 
stone into numerous irregular splinters. 
As this specimen hr.tl been rendered us J - 
iess by tins, it was apparently rejected 
at once, though already a considerable 
amount of work bad been gone through 
in flaking off different parts. Very fre¬ 
quent are specimens of the following 
type;—Fig. ;j, p. lei—Angular fragment, 
showing traces of use. These are simply 
angular fragments, which, having a sharp 
edge, have apparently been used. Die 
edge is more or less serrated, but tne 
clappings must be considered as traces 
of use, not as wilfully produced. the 
next, specimen is apparently an unfinish¬ 
ed specimen. Fig. 4, p.Ki ( unfinished speci¬ 
men) — This shows a considerable amount 
Of work on both sides; it is also fairly 
certain that this specimen was rejected, 
because the smooth pollieal side, of 
which traces are to be seen, flaked off 
during the process of work. .Better- 
finished specimens are figured in 
2, p. 16, and Figs. 1 and 2, 
p. 1< (well finished hand-choppers). All 
these specimens have a fine smooth pol¬ 
lieal face, and the radical face is more or 
less elaborately worked. The finest speci¬ 
men I found is a knife mea¬ 
suring nearly el inches in length, 
bigs. 3 , 4 . 5 , p. |7 (knife show¬ 
ing pollieal and radical far and 
side view) — This knife shows by the 
broken edges that it has been very 
strongly used. The pollieal face is very 
even and smooth; tlio inditnl face elabo¬ 
rately chipped. All these specimens 
prove that an enormous amount of work 
lias been -pent in shaping them, and if 
we consider that ail those we now find 
are refuse or rejects we can only won¬ 
der a.t tile patience of tills primitive 
race, but .this is mixed with a feeling of 
pity for their fruitless attempts to 
shape the -unyielding material into a 
suitable implement, whose inefficiency 
was only too well known to them. 
“Pollieal (side of implement on which 
tue thumb rested when used: always the 
flat side). 
11 ndical (that side of the instrument 
on which the first finger rested: always 
the chipped side). 
Annual Report. 
Uiie committee of the Tasmanian Field 
-Naturalists’ Club have much pleasure in 
presenting tneir third annual report, us 
Hereunder: — 
It is evident that the dub is becoming 
more and more popular, as 31 new mem¬ 
bers joined during the past session, 
wringing (|„. total membership up to 1 ) 2 . 
The departure for England °f Hr. Gerard 
fcmitli. who did so much for the club 
«.uri»g its early days, is a distract loss. 
-Mr. J. Edgar .Smith! a most active mem¬ 
ber, has also left the state; and we re¬ 
gret to record the death of A. Mor¬ 
ton. late curator of the Tasmanian .Mu¬ 
seum, which deprives the club of one who 
did much to assist it. On the other 
hand, amongst the many joining is Dr. 
i ,itz Xoetling, who lately arriveu in Tas¬ 
mania from India, where lie was on the 
Geological Survey, and lie has already 
done much to help the club as a member 
of committee, a speaker at meetings, and 
as a leader at excursions. The excur¬ 
sions have been well attended, and the 
meetings largely so. This is hardly to 
be wondered at, because the meetings are 
mow of greater interest than during the 
past, owing to the fact that specimens 
bo exhibition at them are now more 
numerous, and discussion more general. 
I lie papers read and lectures given have 
Duen of distinct scientific value. Eight 
meetings have been held, including an 
illustrated lecture on general natural 
history of Northern Queensland, by Mr. 
A. II. Mnttingley, of -Melbourne. This 
lecture was held in conjunction with the 
Australian Ornithologists’ Union, and llis 
Excellency the Governor presided. A re¬ 
sume of lectures at some of the chief 
meetings would include—“Modern Bo- 
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