Shcll-Trunipcts a>id tJicir Distribution. 57 



of the neck of the same tjod. DieseldoilT excavated at 

 ("liama, Guatemala, several pieces of pottery with painted 

 or incised representations of the Shell God.''^ At (in'tclicn 

 itza, scu][)tured figures on buildini^s often have a shell 

 attached to the body. Spinden'"' informs us that '' in 

 the lower rii^ht hand corner of the Foliated Cross at 

 Palenque is a shell in which is partially concealed the 

 Long-nosed God. From the hands of this god issues a 

 plant amid the leaves of which is a face resembling that 

 of the I\Iai/e God. The shell in this connection probabl\' 

 appears as an indication of water ' (see 7'Vi,'". 2 on plate 

 facing p. 58). Tlaloc, the Mexican Rain God, is similarly 

 represented in Aztec codices, possibly sigm'fx'ing the dr\-- 

 ing up of the waters. 



Two interesting figures of the association of the Moon 

 God with the conch-shell are given in the Dresden Maya 

 manuscript.^"" In one {Fig. i, plate facing p. 58), the 

 Roman-nosed God ( = D of Schellas) emerges from 

 the shell under the water, whilst the Long-nosed God 

 ( = R of Schellas), identified by some with Cltac, the Rain 

 God of the four (juarters and the equivalent of Tlaloc 

 of the Mexicans, is seen on the surface of the water 

 holding a fish in one hand. This figure seems to show 

 the close association of these two Maya gods. In 

 other representations we find these gods merging 

 the one into the other ; and in (jne case Ckac, the 

 Rain God, appears as the Moon (jod. Dr. FUiot Smith 

 claims'"^ that the Maya CJiac is the American form of the 



■'^ For figures see Spinden, op. cit., \). 84, f. lo.SI) ; Selcr, /.,il. fur 

 Et/inol., 42, p. 2S4, L 1000. 



'•''•' Spinden, op. ciL, p. S4. 



'"" See Sjjinden, tf/. iiL, \i. 8j, i. 108 c & il ; IMrsieniann, op. ,it., 

 _ . 42S, f. 105a ; Seler, Z. /'//>■ E., 42, p. 284, f. 998 and 9991.. 



igi <« Precolumhian Kepresentati'ins of llie Elcpliant in .\iiierica," 

 Nature, Uecemlier 16, 1915. 



