QUIEIGCTA. 7 



when giving the account of the monuments at Copan. None of the faces of the 

 principal stela? are masked, as on Stelae D and I at Copan, but, as has already been 

 stated, the faces on the monuments to the nortb of the Great Plaza (monuments 

 A to G) are bearded, and those to the south are beardless. 



Feather-work (often in connection with the serpent-bird) is more freely used in the 

 decoration of the head-dresses than it is at Copan, and it can be seen in perfection on 

 Stela F. 



The prevalence of the marks )£/£)) m the foreheads of the grotesque faces is also 



noticeable. 



In describing the monuments at Copan, I divided them for convenience into Stelae 

 and Altars. In some instances the Altars may have been properly so called, as they are 

 flat-topped blocks of sculptured stone, standing in front of the upright stela?, and form 

 suitable tables on which to place offerings. In other cases, the so-called Altars do not 

 stand immediately in front of the stelae, and they are covered on the upper surface with 

 hieroglyphic inscriptions, so that it is not probable that they were used as receptacles 

 for offerings. At Quirigua the use of the word " Altar " as a term by which to describe 

 the great blocks of stone sculptured into the forms of grotesque animals (such as B 

 and G, Plate II.) would be still less appropriate than its use at Copan, and in the case 

 of the Great Turtle (P), wbich is the largest of the series, the term would be altogether 

 inadmissible, as the shape and height of the monument preclude the idea of its having 

 been used as a receptacle for offerings. Although, in some papers already published, 

 I have extended the term " Altar " to include these stone animals at Quirigua, they 

 will here be classed as " monolithic animals." 



Stela A. (Plates III. to VIII.) 

 Height 14 feet ; breadth 4 feet 6 inches; thickness 3 feet 2 inches*. 



This monument faces south and stands in line with the stela? C and D in front of 

 the mound which forms the northern boundary of the Great Plaza. 



Owing to the decayed condition of the stone, the design on the pedestal which 

 supports the figure is somewhat obscure both on the front and on the back of the 

 monument ; but in each case parts of the profile of a grotesque mask can be traced. 



The full-faced figure on the front of the stela and its adornments is shown so clearly 

 in the photograph (Plate IV.) that it needs little further description. The hands are 



* As the monuments are irregular in shape the measurements are approximate, and nearer the mean than 

 the extreme. 



