extremities of the animal forms in the semblance of which the vases were originally modeled, their positions may be related to the original positions of the heads and tails of those forms. It is not improbable that the conventional incised and relieved ornaments, the meanders, nodes, and varied marks refer also to the creatures or the markings of the creatures with which the vessel was associated. [Illustration: Fig. 65. Animal forms exhibiting a long proboscis--handled group.] [Illustration: Fig. 66. Fig. 67. Vases illustrating ornamental use of animal figures--terra cotta group.] [Illustration: Fig. 68. Fig. 69. Vases illustrating ornamental use of animal figures--terra cotta group.] It will be seen, from the above remarks, that we cannot fully determine to what extent these ancient decorators followed the traditional pathways of early ideographic usage or how much they were governed by those powers of esthetic discrimination known to us as taste. UNPAINTED WARE. For convenience of description I separate the pottery of Chiriqui into two grand divisions: the _unpainted_ ware and the _painted_ ware. Two important groups come under the first head. The first of these, the terra cotta or biscuit ware, comprises a larger number of pieces than any other group and is readily distinguished by its colors, which include only the pale grayish yellow and reddish tints of the burned clay. The second is limited to a small number of pieces and is black or very dark upon the surface and dark within the mass. _The terra cotta group._--This biscuit-like pottery is not in any way inferior to the painted varieties. It bears evidence of great freedom in handling, and serves, perhaps better than any other class of products, to illustrate the masterly skill and the refined taste of the ancient potter. It is said to occur in the same cemeteries and in the same graves with the more important varieties of painted ware. The function of these handsome vessels cannot be determined. It can hardly have been of a domestic nature, as they show no evidences of discoloration or wear, and we are left to speculate upon the possibility of a purely ceremonial use. The paste is moderately fine, but contains an extremely large share of gritty sand; the slip is thin and has received but a slight degree of polish, so that the surface has a dead, somewhat granular effect. As a rule the vases are of small size and are very thin walled. The forms are symmetrical and exceptionally graceful. The ornamentation includes incised figures (mostly geometric), raised decoration (of similar character), and animal forms in the round. The following illustrations are intended to epitomize the multitude of forms, as anything like a complete representation is out of the question. [Illustration: Fig. 70. Series of bowls and cups of unpainted ware.]