112 



THE ABORIGINES OK PORTO RICO 



('2) those with reptilian heads; (3) those with ))ird heads. Stones of the 

 tirst group have a hnnian face (figure 17), or a monkey-like head with a 

 more or less human nose and generally a band or ridge over the fore- 

 head terminating in ears with pendants on the ends. Nostrils are not 

 indicated in stones of tiiis group, and the eyes are commonly round 

 depressions looking forward. In the second group the head is more 

 elongated and reptilian, with the mouth extending backward on the 

 sides, the nostrils mounted' on small protuberances, and the nose and 

 the frontal alisent. Ears and eai' pendants are not represented in this 

 group. 



The third, or bird-faced, group is easily distinguished from the 

 human and the lizard-headed grotips b}' the presence of a bird's head, 

 with beak and eyes, and sometimes of wings. Fi'ontal band, nostrils, 

 and ears are wanting and the eyes are placed laterally. 



The following objects belong to the first type of three-pointed idols: 

 Plate XXXII represents one of the most instructive examples of the 



1 !■ ' < 1 lir >-|«iinttii stone of first type. 



first tvpe of three-pointed stones and is unique in several particuiai's. 

 The conical prominence in this specimen is not pointed but hemi- 

 spheric, and its surface is decorated with incised figures the arrange- 

 ment of which is brought out in a view from above {/>). This orna- 

 mentation consists of six circles — one in the middle surrounded })v five 

 smaller incised circles, two in front, one on each side, and one in the 

 rear. There are also triangular incised figures, parallel lines, and con- 

 centric circles. The break in the line surrounding the middle circle is 

 worth mentioning •<hu-r it introduces a character repeatedly found in 

 the geometrical decoratioTi of other Antillean objects. The head of 

 the specimen is of human form, with a raised ridge on the forehead. 

 Its feet are drawn to the rump, the toes being represented on the medial 

 line. This object, purchased from Senor Zeno Gandia, is made of 

 marble with yellow veins, its surface being smooth and the base 

 slightly concave and undecorated. It was labeled Santo Domingo and 

 forn»erl\ belongt>d to tiic Ciabinete de Lectuia of Ponce, Porto Rico. 



