274 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 57 



Assuming that the date below this number, 3 Cimi 14 Kayab, was its 

 terminal date, the starting point can be reached by counting back- 

 ward. This will be found to be 9 Kan 12 Kayab, a date actually 

 found on this page (see pi. 32), just above the animal figure emerging 

 from the second serpent's mouth. 



The black number in the second serpent reads 4.6.9.15.12.19, which 

 reduces as follows : 



4X2, 880, 000 = 1 1, 520, 000 



Assuming that the date below this number, 13 Akbal 1 Kankin, 

 was the terminal date, its starting point can be shown by calculation 

 to be just the same as the starting point for the previous number, 

 that is, the date 9 Kan 12 Kayab, and as mentioned above, this date 

 appears above the animal figure emerging from the mouth of this 

 serpent. 



The last Serpent number in plate 32, the red number in the second 

 serpent, reads, 4.6.1.9.15.0 and reduces as follows: 



Assuming that the date below this number, 3 Kan 17 TJo,^ was its 

 terminal date, its starting point can be shown by calculation to be 

 just the same as the starting point of the two preceding numbers, 

 namely, the date 9 Kan 12 Kayab, which appears above this last 

 serpent. 



It will be seen from the foregoing that three of the four Serpent 

 dates above described are counted from the date 9 Kan 12 Kayab, a 

 date actually recorded in the text just above them. The all-important 

 question of course is. What position tlid the date 9 Kan 12 Kayab 

 occu])y in the Long Count ? The page (62) of the Dresden Codex we 



» The manuscript has incorrectly 16 TJo. It is obvious this can not be correct, since from Table 

 VII Kan can occupy only the 2d, 7th, r2th, or 17th position in the months. The correct readmg here, as 

 we shall see, is probably 17 TTo. This reading requires only the addition of a single dot. 



