COPAX. 61 



alligator's body with outstretched limbs ; the tail extends over the north side, and the 

 claws of the hind legs on to the east and west sides of the altar. 



Figure c on Plate XCY. is an attempt to draw the form of this animal on one 

 plane. 



The teeth stand out and form a sort of fringe on either side of the head, and on the 

 end of the snout is a curious ornament formed of three small heads — one full face, and 

 the other two in profile. This ornament hangs down over the" south side of the altar. 

 The two marks in front of the eyes are probably meant for the usual nose-ornaments ; 

 at the back of the head are two disks with winged scrolls issuing from them. The 

 ornaments on the wrists are of some soft material looped and knotted, and one of the 

 loose ends is broadened into the flower-like expansion already noticed on all four sides 

 of Stela N (Plates LXXVI. to LXXXII. and pages 56 & 57). Traces can just be 

 made out of the fish which usually accompanies this ornament. The same ornament 

 can be seen on the anklets, but the fish can be traced near the right foot only and in a 

 different position. 



Double oval marks are distributed over the body, and there is a line of scales along 

 both sides of the body and the lower side of the limbs. 



Punning from the snout across the back and down the middle of the tail is a 

 hieroglyphic inscription, of which, unfortunately, the last three glyphs only have 

 escaped destruction. 



Upon the upper surface of the monument are two apparently human figures seated 

 upon the arms of the alligator ; both figures are much weatherworn — each has what 

 appears to be a glyph in its hand, which is outstretched towards the alligator's head. 

 Between the alligator's arms and legs four human figures are seated in similar positions, 

 two on each side of the body. These figures have large mask head-dresses, and carry 

 cfferincs in their hands. Three out of the four offerings are obliterated, and the one 

 remaining is not a copy of any known glyph, but it is easy to suppose that it may be 

 the symbol for fire. There are two figures on the north side of the monument, one 

 on either side of the tail of the alligator, each is seated on a glyph ; the figures are 

 human, but in place of a human head each figure is surmounted by a glyph, which has, 

 however, something of a facial appearance in profile. Each figure holds a glyph, with 

 the numeral ' 10 ' attached to it, in its outstretched hand. 



The figures on the south, east, and west sides of the altar appear to form a double 

 series (six of them facing to the right and six to the left), after the manner of the 

 figures on the step in Temple No. 11 (Plate VIII.) and on Altar Q (Plates XC. to 



XCIII.) 



On the south side the figures are all four human, and each is seated cross-legged on 

 a glyph and facing inwards towards a double line of glyphs which runs from beneath 

 the ornament on the alligator's snout to the base of the altar. Following the series of 

 figures to the east : — 



No. 1 («) has something like a moustache on the upper lip. Head covered with 



