TMOMAsi EXPLANATION OF FIGURES ON THE FOUR PLATES. 79 



plates of the Manuscript and give the signification of them so far as I have 

 been able to make this out. I will .start with the assumption that the con- 

 clusion drawn from the comparison just made — that they relate in part at 

 least to the festivals of the supplemental days — is correct; and as affording 

 additional evidence, I first call attention to the following facts: Landa, in his 

 account of the ceremonies relating to the Muluc year, remarks that "the 

 devil commanded them to offer squirrels and a cloth cover (or cloth orna- 

 ment), without embroidery, woven by the old women whose office it was to 

 dance in the temple for the purpose of appeasing the god Yax-coc-Ahmut." 



In the upper division of Plate XXI (that relating to the Muluc year) 

 we see this cloth, which we judge from the figure was to be worn by the 

 priests. It is plain and without ornamentation, save what is on the strips 

 at the side 



The same account, as will be seen by reference to the quotation in full 

 heretofore made, mentions that "among other things performed at this festi- 

 val was a ballet or dance executed on very high stilts" (en muy altos zancos). 

 In the upper division of the same plate (XXI) we see one of the dancers 

 on stilts. 



It also states that "they were required to present dogs of burnt clay 

 bearing bread on the back"; that "the old women were obliged to dance 

 with these dogs in their hands, and to sacrifice to the god a little dog with 

 black shoulders." In the lower division of the same plate we observe three 

 figures of small unspotted dogs, two of which are seated on human feet, 

 which is doubtless intended to denote that they are carried during the 

 dance. To the right is another figure of a dog marked with large black 

 spots, and bearing on its back the symbol of Ymix or Imix mounted on 

 that of Kan. 



It is true these figures do not agree exactly with Landa's description, 

 as he does not appear to refer to the two classes of dog images — the plain 

 and the spotted — but to the latter only. But we may expect this writer, 

 who mentions these things more incidentally than otherwise, to be more or 

 less confused where so many particulars are to be remembered, especially 

 if his work was written in Spain, where he had necessarily to rely to a 

 great extent upon his memory. But the fact that these figures are found on 



