TnoMAs] OHARACTEES IN THE MIDDLE LINE, PLATES XX-XXIIL 91 



sometimes with and sometimes without dots over it. Over the Ix cohimn — 

 Plate XX — there are two of these characters, the upper with three dots 

 over it, the other with one. In the upper edge of the upper space of the 

 same phxte there is another without any dots over it. Those over the Muhic 

 cokimn — Plate XXI — are too thoroughly obliterated to be made out, but 

 in the uj)per space of this plate we see a very distinct one with two dots 

 over it. There are none over the Kan column of Plate XXII, but in the 

 upper space there appears to be one, though too badly defaced to be made 

 out with certainty. There is one over the Cauac column — Plate XX III — 

 with one dot over it, and in the upper space another, with two dots over it, 

 above which is another in black, but reversed, and without dots. On the 

 title page there are two lines of somewhat similar figures, but presenting 

 some differences, which render it doubtful whether they have the same 

 signification as those on the four plates. 



There can be but little doubt that these characters are used here to 

 denote certain periods of time. But what periods is a question I have so 

 far been unable to answer satisfactorily. I will therefore postpone the dis- 

 cussion of this point to a subsequent page. 



In the broad line separating the two divisions of each plate we observe 

 certain square characters, some of which are readily recognized as day 

 symbols. Those on Plate XXIII reading from left to right are — first, Eza- 

 nab ; second, Ahhal; third, the character which Brasseur says stands for M, 

 and fourth, possibly a variant of Lamat. On Plate XXII, reading in the same 

 direction — 'Lamat {f), Mf, Ezanah, aiadAkhal; on Plate XXI, -E^'a??a&, pos- 

 sibly a variant of Been, Akhal, Lamat, and (?); on Plate XX, Been, Akhal, 

 Mf, Ezanab, and Lamat. Two only in each line can be determined with any 

 degree of certainty. These da3^s are the closing ones of the different years, 

 and are very appropriate in this place, and bear the same relation to these 

 plates as those in the columns of the Codex do to those plates. Their posi- 

 tion here also (confirms the view I have heretofore incidentally advanced, 

 that the upper division of these plates relates chiefly to the closing days of 

 one year and the lower to the commencement of the following. The character 

 which I have denoted by the letter 31 is the same as that which I liave 

 interpreted as designating "the north," except that it is without the prefix. 



