October 7, 1892.] 



SCIENCE. 



201 



one as familiar with it as with his native tongue takes hold of the 

 work. 



We will now call attention to some characters, the interpreta- 

 tion of which seems to give us a proper clue to the signification of 

 the subjoined figures, sometimes very different, however, from 

 the conclusion likely to be reached from a study of the figures 

 (pictures) alone. 



Let us take the leading symbol in the " baptismal " scene shown 

 in Tro. 30*c, There are in this series four groups, each assigned 

 to one of the cardinal points; this symbol, which is our fig 30, is 

 found in each, hence must indicate some act, thought, or thing 

 applicable to each of the figures below, which represent women 

 apparently sprinkling children. We observe that the upper char- 

 acter of the symbol is the same as that of our Fig. 21, the symbol 

 for Chikin, " west; " that the one below it is Landa's H, and that 

 to the right his i. Putting these together we have Chicha (or 

 Chich-atah) — i, or ich ; "To rinse, cleanse, or wash with water, 

 the child," or " the face." ' A very simple and ordinary operation, 

 but. like everything else which the priests could bring under 

 control, was to be attended with certain religious or superstitious 

 observances. Possibly this may refer to something of a more 

 public character than the cleansing of children in the household. 



In the middle divisions of Plates 34 and 25 Cortesianus, we see 

 what we take to be a series of enclosed graves or sepulchres, the 

 inclosure or vault being of wood fastened by thongs or withes. 

 The dead are seen within, but on top of each a person stooping 

 or lying down. What does this signify ? Judging from the 

 figures alone, several different and apparently equally applicable 

 answers might be given. Referring to the text above (Plate 25), 

 we observe the characters shown in our Figs. 33 and 33. The 

 first (Fig. 23) we translate by Paa-laahal from Pablaahal, "To rip 

 open, unseam; to cut, break or burst open." The second (Fig. 33) 

 by U-Paa Cimilhi, " the enclosures of the dead." The article 

 borne by the middle figure, Plate 35, appears to be the same as 

 those in the hands of the individuals Tro. 33*", where they ap- 

 pear to be used in severing the trunks of trees. Although odd- 

 shaped implements to be used for this purpose, I have supposed 

 them to be what may be termed saws, fitted with flint teeth. 

 At any rate, they are used in some way in working in wood. 

 Fig. 34, from same series, is probably a derivative of Paaxal, "To 

 -demolish, etc." 



In Dres. 1« the figure shows two individuals drawing a seine 

 in which is a single fish, over which is the character shown in 

 our Fig, 35, here turned on its side as in the original. This con- 

 tains the same elements as No. 3, Fig. 2, Science, July 33. trans- 

 lated CWz, "the turkey," but here they are reversed. Turning 

 to Perez's lexicon, we find that Tzac is a little fish so named; 

 Brasseur says a little fish resembling a sardine which inhabits the 

 aenotes. 



As the symbol ior Xaman, "north," Fig. 26 contains the char- 

 acters for ma and y according to my theory, and lacks the x sym- 

 bol, the question arises. How is this to be explained ? That some 

 of the day and month symbols, if phonetic, are abbreviated will 

 become evident to anyone who will carefully study them. That the 

 symbol for Nohol, "South," if phonetic, is also abbreviated must be 

 admitted. The same is true of that for north. Turning to Tro. 

 30b, we find the symbol shown in our Fig. 27, which is here used 

 for North. In each wing of the upper character we see the hatch- 

 ing indicating a;'a; ; the middle one ma, and in the lower one the 

 y\ Supplying the subordinate elements we have xax-ma-yaam, 

 "the side without an opening" or "door." As Nohol signifies 

 ■" the great door," this contrast is consistent and gives us a Maya 

 name for north, and does away with the necessity, as Charencey 

 supposes, of resorting to a foreign language for the word.'' 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



At last there seems to be an awakening among Americans as 

 to the food they eat, if we may judge from the interest taken in 

 the food exhibitions which have been held of late years. A most 



* Perez limits the significatioo of this word chiefly to rinsing the mouth. 

 l)ut Brasseur gives it a more general meaning. 

 2 Aotes. Soc. Philol., Tom. 20, p. 1S7. 



attractive exhibition of this kind has been opened at the Madison 

 Square Garden in this city, and has combined with it a series of 

 lectures, by MissParloa, on cooking. The exhibition ranges from 

 a dairy — cows and all — to the toothsome buckwheat cakes. 

 One thing brought out clearly is the simplification of housekeep- 

 ing brought about by the use of the partially prepared viands 

 now in the market. But we would suggest that substitutes, 

 occasionally shown, can never take the place of the real 

 articles. 



— A European correspondent informs us that a Russian expe- 

 dition is now in north-east Siberia for the purpose of bringing 

 back a mammoth which has been discovered there frozen in a 

 perfect condition. The writer adds that he has strong hopes the 

 naturalist in charge of the expedition may discover the eggs of 

 Ross's Rosy Gull {Rhodostethia rosea), as yet unknown to oOlo- 

 gists. 



— The Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., Rochester, N. Y., recently 

 issued the thirteenth edition of their " Illustrated Catalogue of 

 Microscopes, Objectives, and Accessories." This firm has now 

 made and sold ten thousand microscopes, not including thousands 

 of dissecting microscopes, which means that their instruments are 

 in very wide use in this country, and the firm takes pleasure in 

 stating that a European demand is now growing, showing an ap- 

 preciation of their work abroad. By contract with the well-known 

 maker, Carl Zeiss of Jena, the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company 

 are made the sole manufacturers, under the patents, of the Zeiss 

 photographic lenses. 



— The School of Political Science of the Brooklyn Institute of 

 Arts and Sciences, for which provision has been made by the De- 

 partment of Political Science of the Institute, and some account 

 of which was published in Science for May 20, will be formally 

 opened with a public meeting at Association Hall, on Monday 

 evening Oct. 10. Mr. John A. Taylor, president of the depart- 

 ment, and other well-known citizens of Brooklyn, who are inter- 

 ested in the movement, will address the meeting. At the same 

 time the courses of study established by the committee on the 

 school will be announced and described. The committee on the 

 School of Political Science comprises some of the most successful 

 business men in the city, as well as distinguished representatives 

 of the professions and of the prominent educational institutions 

 of Brooklyn, between which and the institute a cordial under- 

 standing and co-operation exist. The committee have taken 

 great care in the selection of instructors for the school and the 

 arrangement of the courses of study, and are well satisfied with the 

 results thus far attained. The faculty of the school, so far as 

 selected, consists of Charles H. J. Douglas, Professor of Political 

 Economy, and Lewis G. Janes, Professor of Civil Government. 

 Dr. Janes is well and favorably known in Brooklyn as the presi- 

 nent for several years past of that very successful organizai ion, 

 the Brooklyn Ethical Association. He brings to his work in the 

 school maturity, enthusiasm, and thorough scholarship, and will 

 make his courses in civil government both popular and instructive. 

 Professor Douglas, who has been secretary of the Department of 

 Political Science since the resignation of Professor Frank ,1. Good- 

 now of Columbia College from that position two years ago, will 

 have charge of the classes in political economy. He is a graduate 

 of Brown University, and has studied at Yale, Johns Hopkins, 

 Michigan, and Columbia, receiving from the last-named institu- 

 tion the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and an appointment as 

 Seligman Fellosv in political science. It is expected that Ur. 

 Douglas's work at the institute wQI be as successful and popular 

 as it has been at the Brooklyn Boys' High School, in which for 

 several years he has had charge of the work in political science. 

 The matter of raising a permanent fund for the School of Politi- 

 cal Science is one that should appeal strongly to those pos-essed 

 of means and interested in the education of our youth in the du- 

 ties of citizenship. A guaranty fund has been raised, sufficient 

 to insure the support of the school irrespective of the size of 

 classes for the first year; but a permanent endowment of §50,000 

 or $100 000 is needed to put the school in the best possible condi- 

 tion to do the work proposed by its projectors. 



