CHESS AND PLAYING-CARDS. 803 



In searching for remains of the cane game in old Mexico, the writer 

 was deeply impressed witli the mauy points of resemblance between the 

 gaming circuit as described by Mr. Cashing as used in Sho'-li-u-e, and 

 some of the diagrammatic paintings in the codices, leading him to the 

 conclusion that the purpose of the latter was identical. As an illustra- 

 tion, the figure from the Fcjervary codex (Plate 17) may be regarded as 

 a divinatory, calendrical counting circuit, the forty beans or corn of 

 four colors of the Zuui Sho' U-ire having their ccmnterparts in the four 

 colored arms of the cross — red, yellow, blue, and green — marked with 

 small circles. Again the entire design of the Mexican figure will be 

 seen to represent an animal or the hide of an animal, comparable with 

 the buffalo hide of the Zuiii game. In the center of the Mexican 



Fig. 117. 



.SET OF STICKS FOR GAME. 



Lengths, 3J aud 3| inches. 

 Toba Indians, Grand Chaco, South America. 



Cat. No. nas, Field Columbian Museum. Hassler imllection. 



picture is a figure of a warrior god or priest, armed with atlatl and 

 darts, corresponding to the cross, symbolic of the twin war god of the 

 Zuni circuit. The scheme of the plate from Prof. Cyrus Thomas's 

 Notes on certain Maya and Mexican Manuscripts' is added (fig. 116) to 

 facilitate comparison. 



From Soutli America the following sets of implements have been 

 collected : 



Toba Tribe, Chaco Indians. Cat. No. 1799, Field Columbian Museum, 



Chicago. Hassler collection. 



Three sticks roughly whittled from small twigs (tig. 117). Two of 



them 3| inches in length, J inch wide, and about ^ inch thick, slightly 



rounded on one side, which is blackened, while the other is fiat and 



'Third .Vnnual Report Bureau of Ethnology. 



