work of cutting was stopped by the discovery of 
defects in the stone. In very many cases defects 
were not discovered until too late, and the operations 
of removal at the last moment became abortive;instead 
of breaking off at the base, as was intended, the 
cleavage of the stone was such that the body split 
in two, leaving a portion remaining attached to the 
0 / 
<^3 stem. The drawing presented in plate LXXVI will 
give a more satisfactory idea of the whole range of 
phenomena than can any mere description. 
A notable feature of the cutting out of these 
masses of stone is the attendant shaping of the mass, 
which was rudely sculptured as the work ivent on, the 
contour of the vessel being approximately developed. 
Although I have seen no good examples of this class, 
it is confidently stated by others that rude nodes 
were carved at opposite ends of the mass as incipient 
