184 



A STUDY OF CHIRIQUIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



quians almost always represented the jaguar as in the act of roaring, a fact of 

 special significance, when viewed in the light of our knowledge of the role played 

 by the jaguar in Mexican and Mayan mythology. According to Dr. W. Stempell, 1 

 it is figured in all four of the known Mayan codices. The tail of the specimen 

 in question is curved to one side the end touching the hip. The patterns in 

 black and red on zoomorphic forms belonging to the alligator ware are, as a rule, 

 either purely geometric or referable to the alligator motives rather than to the 



Fig. 311. — Jaguar-shaped whistle with occllated mark- Fig. 312. — Whistle in the shape of a deer. Alligator 



ings of the jaguar. Alligator ware. */« ware. '/« 



Fig. 313. — Whistle representing a deer apparently making 

 an attack. Alligator ware. 'I' 



Fig. 314. — Monkey-shaped 

 finger-holes. 'I' 



body-markings of the animal under consideration. But in these two jaguar- whistles, 

 the markings are true to nature — rings enclosing spots. This and the following 

 whistle are alike in pitch. 



Among ruminants Seemann found the Venado, a species of deer, roaming in 

 herds over the savannas. This animal is probably represented in figures 312 and 

 313. Cariacus virginianus is the species found in Panama. Special attention is 



1 Die Tierbilder der Mayahandschriften. Zeitschr. f. Ethnol., XL, 704, 1908. 



