THOMAS] THE SECOND DAY 217 
are two interpretations which may be given this symbolic representa- 
tion—one, that the ik glyphs are intended to denote plant life, that 
which causes plants to spring up and grow; the other, that they denote 
wind, which in that country was often destructive to growing corn. 
Very distinct reference is made in the “ Relacion de Ja Villa Valla- 
dolid”! to the injurious effects of winds on the maize crop. It is 
related in this report, which appears to have been of an official char- 
acter, made in 1579, that— 
From June till the middle of August it rains very hard and there are strong winds; 
from the latter date the rains are not copious and the wind blows strongly from the 
north, which causes much mortality among the natives, and Spaniards as well, for 
they contract catarrh and barriga (dropsy?). This north wind destroys the maize 
crops, which form the main sustenance of both natives and Spaniards, for they use 
no other bread. 
There can be no doubt that most, if not all, of the figures on this plate 
(Tro. 29) are intended to represent the injurious and destructive agen- 
cies to which maize and other cultivated plants were subject. Birds 
and quadrupeds pull up the sprouting seed and pull down and devour 
the ripening grain; worms gnaw the roots and winds break down the 
stalks, one out of four escaping injury and giving full return to the 
planter. The latter is therefore probably the correct interpretation, 
the only difficult feature being the presence of the Earth god, which 
agrees better with the first suggestion. 
It is to be observed that the series on Tro. 29¢ really commences with 
the right-hand group on 30c. The figure here holds in his hand an ik 
symbol. Following this, the left group on 29¢c shows a bird pecking the 
corn; the next, a Small quadruped tearing it down; the next, a worm 
gnawing at the root of a plant; and the fourth, or right-hand group, a 
corn figure holding a kan symbol, indicating the mature grain, the 
uninjured portion of the crop. It would therefore appear that the ik 
symbol in this series denotes wind. 
As additional proof that the symbol is used to indicate “ wind,” ref- 
erence is made to Tro. 24a. Here the long-nose Rain god, or Maya 
Tlaloc, is seen amidst the storm, clothed in black and bearing on his 
arm a shield on which are two ik symbols (plate LXtIvy, 33), doubtless 
indicative of the fierceness of the tempest. In front of him is the Corn 
god, bending beneath the pouring rain. On plate 25, same codex, lower 
division, the storm is again symbolized, and the 7k symbol is present 
here also. 
It seems from these facts to be quite certain that the value of the 
symbol in the codices, so far as it can be satisfactorily determined, 
corresponds in signification with the Maya name. 
Referring again to Dr Seler’s theory that the plant-like figures on 
Tro. 15*, 16* indicate the freshly extracted heart and the vapor arising 
therefrom, the following additional items are noted: He says that in 
the text the scene below, or at least these sprouting-plant figures, 
1 Cong. Inter. des Americanistes, Actes de !2 Cuarta Reunion, Madrid, 1881, tom 2, pp. 173-174. 
