392 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



Calves. — Fig-. 37 represents an engraving on reindeer antlers from 

 Langerie Basse, collected by Massenat. The figures are three calve?; 

 heads in a row. The reindeer horn has been flattened by cutting or 



scraping on the 



W^_^^.^j&j^ —— — 



sides, and the 

 engraving done 

 on the surface. 

 The object prob- 

 ably served as 

 the handle of a 

 poniard, but the 

 blade is broken 

 off. The top and 



Fig. 37. 



THEKE CALVES' HEADS, ON KEINDEEB ANTLER, BOTH .SIDES THE SAME. FRAG- 

 MENT OF HANDLE OF PONIARD. 



Laugerle Basse. 



Collection, Massenat. Oast, Cat. No. 99857, U.S.N.M. N.atural size. 



Fig. 38. 



calves' ( 1) HEADS ENGRAVED ON BONE. 



Laugerie Basse, Dordogue. 



Collection, Massenat. Natural size. 



bottom edges of the handle have been wrought into festoons, with cres- 

 cents engraved opposite each x)oint of the festoons. The sculpture is 

 entirely ornamental, except so far as it may roughen the handle for pre- 

 hensile purposes. The opposite side of the handle is similarly engraved. 

 Fig. 38 represents an engraved bone from Laugerie Basse. The 

 engravings are supposed to be 

 calves, as in fig. 37. 



It was one of the peculiarities 

 of the art work of this epoch that 

 in such examples as we are now 

 considering the animals or heads 

 engraved followed each other in 

 single file. They appeared to be always uniform in size, height, age, 

 sex, and species. 



Ruminants (?). — Fig. 39 is one of those uncertain animals classed by 

 Lartet and deMortillet as ruminants, leaving the species undetermined. 

 Lartet says : ^ 

 The size and shortness of the shonlder, while exclnding the reindeer, the stag, and 



the horse, might yet serve for a bovine animal, but 

 the fracture at the attachment of the horns de- 

 prives us of the means of judging if it be of this 

 character. The withers do not seem high enough 

 for the aurochs ; or, at least, they would do only 

 for a young individual. The marks for hair, in- 

 dicated on different parts of the body, are also 

 distributed with intelligence for the purpose of 

 making the drawing more effective. 



The specimen was found by Lartet and 

 Christy in the Grotto Les Eyzies, and is in 

 Muse'e St. Germain. Natural size. thc Muscc St. Germalu. Dc Mortillct be- 



lieves that the mark on the left shoulder represents an arrow or javelin. 

 Fig. 40 is an engraving on a reindeer's brow antler palm, found by 

 Lartet in Laugerie Basse. The fracture is old. The fragment bears 

 a bold sketch made by no uncertain hand, of the hind quarters and 



Fig. 39. 



RUMINANT (?) ENGRAVED ON FRAG- 

 MENT OF REINDEER HORN. 



Les Eyzies, Dordogiie. 



' ReliquiiB Aquitanic.-v, description of plates, p. 14. 



