548 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1909. 
in consequence of a cave-in. The vestibule leads to a very large hall 
divided into two chambers by a mass of fallen rock. The chamber 
to the left is 40 by 10 meters. The one on the right leads to the 
series of halls and corridors. At the close of the Quaternary a 
cave-in at the entrance had effectually sealed the cavern. The fauna 
is that of the cave bear. 
The paintings and engravings are found in all parts of the cavern, 
especially in the first chamber to the left after entering. The beauty, 
size, and degree of preservation of these works of art are admirable. 
Some of the engravings are deeply cut; others are gently incised by 
the aid of a sharp point. The greater part of these decorations, how- 
ever, were executed in color, either black or red or both. The most 
remarkable are those in polychrome of the left chamber near the 
entrance. While some of the decorations represent animal figures, 
others are incomprehensible signs and symbols. They do not all date 
from the same epoch. The deeply-cut figures of the left chamber 
recall those of Chabot, Pair-non-Pair, and La Gréze. Mural art at 
‘Altamira admits of grouping under four categories: (1) Deeply in- 
cised engravings and line drawings (dessins au trait) in black; (2) 
black or red figures; (3) fine engravings, and (4) polychrome frescoes. 
Line-drawings and figures in black are abundant along the corri- 
dors. The ceiling of the left chamber has many traces of black line- 
drawings (pl. 5, fig. @) generally in bad state of preservation. Some 
of the figures in black are shaded in (modelés), and in this respect are 
quite equal to the polychrome figures. 
The second layer of paintings includes the black or red frescoes 
which are seldom combined in the same figure with engravings. 
Fine engravings are numerous and often made over the black line- 
drawings, that is to say, were more recently executed. 
The polychrome frescoes are remarkable for vigor, exactitude and 
the command of colors—red, brown, black, and yellow—which mix 
and grade into numerous tints. A group of twenty-five of these is 
seen on the ceiling of the left chamber. Some are older than others. 
In the later figures, black contours and engravings combined play 
an important role. The surface to be included in the field of the 
projected figure was washed and scraped. A black line was 
traced fixing the contours. The necessary colors were then added. 
In many cases, one sees divers touches of the brush, each marking a 
tuft of the mane or the dewlap (pl. 5, fig. 6), while the large colored 
surfaces were covered with a thinner mixture of color, graduated by 
washing or gouache. This work accomplished, the artist often re- 
touched the figure, washing or scraping, removing the color in places 
to secure the hghter effects or to detach the limbs folded on the 
body. Spots for decoration were often chosen that give, without 
much extra effort, the effect of a colored bas relief. The frescoes 
