Notices respecting New Books. 555 



and as the place of attachment of one end of a lanyard of sinew 

 thong, or grass string, the other being attached to the shaft itself, so 

 that the latter, as in the arctic regions, might form a buoy if the 

 harpoon head were buried in the fish. That such may have been 

 their use is suggested by the sketches of fishes which ornament 

 some of the weapons. 



But the most interesting articles in the collection are the long 

 implements of reindeer-horn pierced with several large equidistant 

 holes and ornamented by linear carving or rows of animals, and a 

 long dagger poignard of deer-horn, the handle of which is artistically 

 carved into the shape of a reindeer. The former may have been 

 arrow-straight eners, game clubs (Pogamagans), or even batons of 

 office. It is difficult to assign any other use to them. Those that 

 are much perforated were evidently not weapons ; and the care taken 

 in the ornamentation would seem to indicate that they were either 

 worn as ornaments or carried in the hand. 



The needles are carefully made and scraped or polished to a 

 smooth surface, either with the flakes (" side scrapers," which would 

 account for the large number of used specimens), or by rubbing on 

 a stone ; and indeed several stones are figured the long narrow fur- 

 rows of which are exactly suitable for such a purpose. 



The sketches and markings are most various and suggestive. 

 Many of them are probably owner-marks, or mere attempts at de- 

 coration in an idle moment; and others may from their regularity be 

 tallies or the marks of gambling-tools. A most interesting paper 

 in support of this view, and furnishing numerous authentic exam- 

 ples of markings for a similar purpose, is contributed by the Editor, 

 which throws considerable light on the possible intention of similar 

 obscure or in themselves meaningless marks. 



The animals sketched on the various fragments afford the most 

 reliable means of discovering some of the habits of this ancient race. 

 Ibex, deer and reindeer, ponies with heavy heads (the truthfulness 

 of which has since been proved by the discovery of equine skulls 

 identically similar in character), carp and pike, the human figure, 

 a gloved hand resembling the embroidered mitten of the Esquimaux, 

 and, lastly, the great shaggy mammoth, Eleplias ijrimigenius, are 

 depicted, generally with distinctness, frequently with a boldness 

 and accuracy of outline that is all the more extraordinary inasmuch 

 as the sole graver the ancient artist had was a flint flake, his only 

 panel the generally curved surface of a piece of horn. 



The drawing of the Mammoth is executed on a portion of the 

 outside layer of the tusk of an elephant, probably of the same species, 

 the attitude (that of an animal drinking at a spring) natural and 

 easy; and in the opinion of Mr. Henry Woodward, F.B.S., the sketch, 

 rude as it necessarily is, "was the result of a life study of the animal, 

 and is consequently of the highest importance, as attesting the actual 

 presence of the living Mammoth in France when the Caves of 

 Perigord were occupied by Man." 



The early excavations were unattended by any definite discovery 

 of human remains, though finally portions of skeletons were found in 



