26 
Thus by a few well-directed blows, given on scientific princi¬ 
ples, the long and tedious process of chipping , as practised to this 
day in Turkey (see No. 107 and 108) and probably in Egypt, is 
avoided. 
In examining a number of genuine and forged flint arrow-points, 
it will at once be seen that the forger avails himself of flaking far 
more than did the ancient tool-maker, with whom time was of no 
consequence. In genuine specimens there is a well-preserved 
central ridge, which tapers off at the point and sides with extreme 
regularity. Upon the formation of that arrow the man’s supply of food 
—possibly even his life—depended. The forger, on the other hand, 
seeks only to deceive the eye hy form , and he attains his results 
with as little labour to himself as possible ; now and then the points 
are blunt, but the great defect lies in the weakness of the stem, 
and the absence in part or altogether of the central ridge, which 
even when present is usually due to flaking and not to chipping. 
Such arrow-points tell their own tale, they were never intended for 
use , for they would snap the first shock they received. 
CASE Y. 
All deposited hy Mr . E. T Stevens, except stated to the contrary. 
This case contains a series of modern stone implements, very 
many of which are in the original mountings. Plate 11 furnishes 
other examples. Some of these help us to form an idea of the 
probable manner in which the Celtic and other stone hatchets were 
attached to their handles, whilst No. 8 in this Case affords an 
example of a hand hatchet, probably a still more primitive method 
of using the implement. Very many of the flint implements from 
the drift were doubtless used in the hand only; at one end the 
rounded outline of the water-worn gravel flint is often preserved 
with this view, whilst the other end is chipped down to a point for 
work (see plate 2, fig. 2). Again at a later period such specimens 
as Nos. 70 and 71, Case R, could only have been used in the 
hand. Flint knives must have been very awkward and unpleasant 
to use in the hand, and so the ancient possessor found them, but he 
did his best to remove the objection, for there was a knife of gray 
flint found in the bed of the riven Bann, at Toome Bridge, 
between the counties of Antrim and Derry, which had its blunt 
end wrapped round with moss (Hypnum brevirostre), intended 
apparently as a substitute for a handle. This specimen is in the 
collection of Lord Talbot de Malahide. 
Some flint flakes were probably mounted as points to spears and 
arrows, just as the natives use flakes of obsidian in New Caledonia 
and elsewhere at present (see diagram, Nos. 32 and 33). Again, 
others were doubtless mounted in handles of wood or bone; for an 
example of the latter see plate 5, fig. 5, which is from a rough 
sketch taken on the spot of a specimen in the collection of M. 
Boucher de Perthes, of Abbeville. Plate 5, fig. 2, 3, 4, and plate 
