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OK, folks.... here is one that has stumped me. And our staff at our museum. We get a lot of stuff in here that folks ask... "What is it?" Rocks can stump me, but bones I am usually pretty good at, but this one... I'm at a loss. A woman brought this in yesterday asking us what it is. Her husband found it on the York River in Virginia many years ago. At first I thought it might some sort of plant part, but microscopically, it has bone structure. And it is hinged. I don't know of any hinged plant parts. I don't know of too many hinged bones (other than bird beaks), but this is a different kind of hinge than a bird beak. I'm not sure if this is even fossil or modern. It is heavy suggesting fossil, but it could just as well be some dense bone. This photo of it in my hand gives you an idea of size. I'm hoping some of you who spend a lot of time hunting in the shore areas of the mid/south Atlantic states can tell me what it is. This next photo shows one end of it. The two claw-like structures are hinged and move up and down a bit. They both move leftish a bit, so that the smaller one can sit up against the bigger one. My guess is some sort of fish part... Thanks for your help. jpc