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148 the chronological order of their development. The flat celt, a mere copy of the stone axes, was the first to spread over Europe, and it is the type of implement most commonly met with in the British Isles. The first alteration made was to raise a flange on each side, probably to improve the manner of hafting; then these flanges became larger and curved inwards until the two nearly met, thus forming two imperfect sockets, one on each side. Coincident with these changes a stop-ridge appears between the flanges, and a loop on the outside margin on one side, the object of which was to fasten it to the handle more securely. Finally we have the single socket, but still retaining the outside loop, which is the culmination of all previous efforts for the better adjustment of the implement to its handle.

The objects described by Sir John Evans under the category of knives are dagger-like blades, with a socket for the insertion of a handle. Specimens of these implements are rare in Scotland, more frequently met with in England, and fairly abundant in Ireland. The almost entire absence of the typical knife-blade within the British Isles is in striking contrast to what we find on the Continent, especially among the relics of the Swiss lake-dwellings. There the knives are large one-edged blades and extremely elegant in form, being always more or less curved, and frequently ornamented with parallel or wavy lines, concentric circles, dots, etc. They