MALLERY.] GESTURES FOR NEGATION. 645 
The sign for none, nothing, sometimes used for simple negation, is 
made by throwing both hands outward from the breast toward their 
respective sides. 
With these compare the two forms of the Egyptian character for no, 
negation, the two upper characters of Fig. 1006 taken from Champol- 
lion (d). No vivid fancy is needed to see the hands ~-——/{———>, 
indicated at the extremities of arms extended sym- 
metrically from the body on each side. 
Also compare the Maya character for the same 
idea of negation, the lowest character of Fig. L006, 
found in Landa (a). The Maya word for negation is — pyc. 1006.—Negation. 
“ma,” and the word ‘‘mak,” a six-foot measuring rod, given by Bras- 
sew de Bourbourg in his dictionary, apparently having connection 
with this character, would in use separate the hands as illustrated, 
giving the same form as the gesture made without the rod. 
Another sign for nothing, none, made by the Comanche is: Flat 
D hand thrown forward, back to the ground, fingers pointing 
Spr forward and downward. Frequently the right hand is 
499¥  }rushed over the left thus thrown out. 
Gi aN 
— Compare the Chinese character for the same meaning, the 
= upper character of Fig. 1007. This will not be recognized 
as a hand without study of similar characters, which gen- 
erally have a cross-line cutting off the wrist. Here the 
wrist bones follow under the crosscut, then the metacarpal 
Fig. 1007.—Hand. bones, and last the fingers, pointing forward and downward. 
Leon de Rosny (a) gives the second and third characters in Fig. 1007 
as the Babylonian glyphs for “hand,” the upper being the later and the 
lower the archaic form. 
Fig. 1008 is reproduced from an ivory drill-bow 
(U.S. Nat. Mus., No, 24543) from Norton sound, Alaska. 
The figure represents the gesture sign or signal of dis- 
covery. In this instance the game consists of whales, Tyetaniemeeietelior 
and the signal is made by holding the boat paddle aloft discovery. 
and. horizontally. 
Fig. 1009, reproduced from Fig. 365, p. 308, Sixth Ann. xep. Bureau 
ot Ethnology, is a copy of Pl. 53 of the Dresden Codex, and is a good 
example of the use of gestures in the Maya graphie system. The main 
figure in the upper division of the plate, probably that of a deity or 
ruler, holds his right hand raised to the level of the head, with the 
index prominently separated from the other fingers. This is the first 
part of a sign common to several of the Indian tribes of North America 
and signifies affirmation or assent. The Indians close the fingers other 
than the index more decidedly than in the plate and, after the hand 
has reached its greatest height, shake it forward and down, but these 
details, which indeed are not essential, could not well be indicated pic- 
