116 A STUDY OF THE MANUSCEIPT TEOANO. 



form in siibterraneous cavities; and the honey is sour and somewhat bitter. 

 The TlalpipiolU, which is the sixth species, is black and yellow, of the size 

 of the common bee, but has no sting." 



He also adds, in a foot-note on page G8, the following statement : "The 

 honey of Estabentiin is in high estimation with the English and French 

 who touch at the ports of Yucatan; and I have known the French of 

 Guarico buy it sometimes for the purpose of sending it as a present to the 

 king" 



Landa, in speaking of these festivals, makes particular mention of bee- 

 keepers, or keepers of beehives. 



Third. A careful study of these plates of the Manuscript I think will 

 satisfy any one that the bee is the insect intended, although the figures are 

 inexact. 



Take, for example, the yellow figure in the middle division of Plate 

 V*. The hair indicates that this is a female, and the long tongue shows it 

 has a sucking apparatus.^ There can be but little doubt that it is intended as 

 a representation of the queen bee, or AJiauJU-cah, "the queen of bees." 



As but few particulars in regard to the festivals of the apiarists have 

 been recorded we have biit little to guide us in an attempt to explain the 

 figures in these plates. Landa states in reference to them that "In the 

 month Tzoz the bee-keepers (or masters of the hives) prepare themselves 

 for the celebration of their festival in Tzec. « * * * They had for 

 their patrons the Bacabs, especially Hohnil. They made at that time great 

 offerings, particularly to the four Chacs, to which they presented four 

 plates, with pellets of incense in each one and painted round the border 

 with figures of honey [honeycomb!], in order to obtain an abundance by 

 this feast."^ 



Some of the figures appear to I'elate to the operations and incidents of 

 the industry, as we have seen is true of those that refer to hunting and 

 the hunters' festivals. We see here what appear to be their hives, either 

 artificial — made for domesticated bees — or those cut from the tree contain- 

 ing the honey of the wild bees. Notice, for example, the figure in the 

 hands of the female in the right of the lower division of Plate V*. The 



' The lite is a mainlibnlatc insect, but has an elongated tongue for extracting the nectar of flowers. 

 ''Si'C Appendix No. 3, E. 



