COPAN. 



47 



that something approaching an initial series occurs also in this form will doubtless 

 prove of great assistance to anyone attempting the interpretation of the hieroglyphics. 

 The round disc in No. 12 is owing to a hard nodule occurring in the stone, which 

 was not susceptible of sculpture with the tools the artist had at his command. A similar 

 nodule has been met with between Nos. 4 and 5, which has been entirely removed, and 

 the carving continued over the concave surface of the stone. A similar nodule has 

 doubtless been extracted from the west side of the monument, just below the lower 

 serpent's head. 



In front of this monument is a monolithic altar shown in Plate XLII. 



The south side (a) facing the plaza appears to represent a death's head. On the 

 side facing the monument is (b) a huge grotesque head of a more usual type without a 

 lower jaw. 



Stone Head m the Beitish Museum, said to have come krom Copan. 



