. Bulletin. Ethnology. 352 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Fbull. 60 if by attrition witli fine sand. On wasliing out tlie bore in tlie larger piece of stone I discovered tliat the bone tube had not extended to the end of tlie l)oring from below; that, in fact, it reached only half way, and that the size of the hole diminished, so that it could not enter any farther. On cleaning out the earth the fact was developed that the borings from opposite ends of the tablet had not met accurately, as indicated in figure [213, a] , . and the conclusion was at once reached that the drill was probably being e
. Bulletin. Ethnology. 352 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Fbull. 60 if by attrition witli fine sand. On wasliing out tlie bore in tlie larger piece of stone I discovered tliat the bone tube had not extended to the end of tlie l)oring from below; that, in fact, it reached only half way, and that the size of the hole diminished, so that it could not enter any farther. On cleaning out the earth the fact was developed that the borings from opposite ends of the tablet had not met accurately, as indicated in figure [213, a] , . and the conclusion was at once reached that the drill was probably being employed, when the work ceased, to enlarge the bore, witli the intention of making more complete con- nection from end to end. The use of the tubular drill of cane, bone, or native metal by primitive peoples, and even by many well-advanced nations, is well known. The tube was twirled by rolling between tlie hands or by a pump or bow drill, and sand of suitable fineness and hardness was employed as the cutting agent. That a tubular drill was used in the present case is proved by the presence of a well-developed core at the base of the boring from the upper. Fig. 213. Alabaster talilet with the bone drill found in place, a, Si'ctiou of tablet. hj Drill (one-half actual size). end, . . and, though the proof may not be absolute that this piece of bone was actually in as a drill, the probabilities are strongly in favor of the correct- ness of the assumption that it was so used, and it is also highly probable that in addition we have here a correct suggestion of the manner in which the tubu- lar drill was employed in enlarging and straiglitening defective borings, a measure often necessary where devices were of such imperfect construction.^ The earth removed from the hore of this specimen was submitted to Prof. O. C. Farringtoii, of the Fiekl Museum of Natural History, for examination. He reported that altliough finely coimninuted bits of bone and travertine were found, it contai
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