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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Fig. 10. Head of Reindeer engraved on Cavern Wall at Tdc d'Audoubert 

 (Ariege). A club-shaped figure across the head. Votive offering for success in 

 the chase. 



Willendorf (Austria). In all there is an evident exaggeration of cer- 

 tain female characters rather than a serious attempt to copy nature 

 faithfully (PI. II.). The lines of the male figure, who has apparently 

 just let fly an arrow from his bow, are fairly true to the original 

 (PI. III.). The has relief of the female holding the bison horn was 

 painted red; traces of the color still persist not only on the body but 

 also over all the cut portion of the rock. The practise of painting 

 engraved and relief figures was no doubt quite general, examples having 

 been reported lately from La Madeleine and Castillo (Spain). 



The paleolithic artist was- quick to detect in the configuration of the 

 rock a resemblance to animal forms and to heighten the resemblance by 

 judicious use of engraving or color. To illustrate this point the figure 

 of a bison on a column of stalagmite in the cavern of Castillo near 

 Puente Yiesgo, Spain, is chosen (PI. IV.). It took very little though 

 well-directed effort on the part of the artist to complete a form already 

 blocked out by nature. A few incised lines and the application of color 

 (black) about the head and shoulders sufficed. A bison at Niaux 



