NUMEEA.L VALUE OF THE MONTH SYMBOLS. 



75 



16. XUL— 320 days. 



If the wing in this symbol were of the ordinary form, indicating 20, it would only 

 be necessary to ascribe the value of 16 to the head. But the wing is always of a 

 peculiar shape, which fact, in connection with the occurrence of a character closely 

 resembling one of the signs for 20 on the back of the head in the first glyph, induces 

 me to think that the values should be reversed — the head representing 20 and this 

 particular form of wing 16. 



17. YAXKIN.-340 days. 



This is another symbol involving a complex calculation, the values of the kin and 

 yax signs being added together and multiplied by that of the wing — 13 + 4 = 

 17X20=340. 



18. M0L.-360 days. 



This is the only month symbol consisting of but a single character — that is, the 

 main sign having no affixes or accessories of whatever kind. I mention this fact 

 because it enables us in the important inscription on the Palenque steps to identify a 

 date that otherwise w T ould be indeterminable. The dots double the value of the circle 

 or circles constituting the border of the glyph, raising it to either 20 or 40 — it not 

 being clear whether an inner circle is intended or not — while the central character, to 

 correspond, may be either 18 or 9, it is impossible to determine which in consequence 

 of the variability of its representations. 



10* 



