THE FARMED WALL PAINTINGS IN THE LASCAUX CAVES IN SOUTH-WEST FRANCE ARE THREATENED WITH IRREPARABLE DAMAGE.THE CAVES HAVE BEEN CLOSED TO TOURISTS WHILE EXPERTS DEVISE WAYS TO COMBAT FAST-GROWING FUNGUS THAT IS CRUMBLING THE SURFACE OF THE 25,000-YEAR-OLD PAINTINGS.

THE FUNGUS, A GREEN MICRO-ORGANIC GROWTH, FIRST APPEARED A FEW MONTHS AGO AND SPREAD RAPIDLY.SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT SINCE THE CAVES HAVE BEEN OPENED TO TOURISTS THE AIR HAS BECOME GRADUALLY INFECTED WITH BACTERIA, WHICH HAS GIVEN RISE TO FUNGUS.THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE CAVES, THEY SAY, NOW CONTAINS AS MUCH BACTERIA AS THE PARIS METRO IN PEAK HOUR.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SAVE THE PAINTINGS INCLUDE STERILIZATION OF THE AIR, A STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL AND GEOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE GROTTO, AND TREATMENT OF THE PAINTINGS WITH CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS.

MEANWHILE, WORKMEN ARE INSTALLING VENTILATION EQUIPMENT TO CLEANSE THE GROTTO's ATMOSPHERE AS EXPERTS CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES.THE CAVES WILL REMAIN CLOSED FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, AND NEARBY VILLAGE OF MONTIGNAC -- USUALLY JAMMED WITH TOURISTS -- IS NOW ALMOST DESERTED.