HOLMES ANNIVERSARY VOLUME 



9 or 10, for 29 or 30. The writer wishes to suggest that this slight 

 difference may indicate a corresponding difference in meaning, per- 

 haps, that this variant of the moon-sign may stand for the more 

 general idea of a lunar month regardless of its length, and, with the 

 hand, that a completed lunar month (or months) is in question here. 



If these two elements do not declare a completed lunar month, 

 it is probable that they refer to a group of lunar months, though the 

 writer inclines to the former explanation. While the above sugges- 

 tion should be regarded as little more than a working hypothesis until 

 it has been submitted to a more thorough test, the writer is confident 

 that the true explanation of these elements lies along this line. 



Let us next turn to the examination of the two groups of coefficients 

 which modify these elements, and since the bar-and-dot numerals are 

 the more conspicuous of the two, let us begin with them. 



As pointed out above, the bar-and-dot coefficient never rises higher 

 than 6; nor does 1, as such, ever occur. Instead there are a number 

 of cases where there is no bar-and-dot coefficient at all. This makes 

 six groups, however, one having no coefficient, perhaps 1, and the 

 others 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. For the distribution of these among the 

 several Supplementary Series figured, see Table I. 



As will appear presently, there are strong grounds for believing 

 that these coefficients indicate the positions of lunar months in some 



TABLE I 



No coefficient, 











6 



perhaps I 



2 



3 



4 



5 



NO. 



NO. 



NO. 



NO. 



NO. 



NO. 



26 



8 



I 



4 



2 



6 



31 



14 



5 



11 



3 



34 



33 



16 



9 



15 



7 



44 



35 



18 



10 



19 



12 



45 



42 



27 



13 



21 



20 



77 



47 



39 



17 



24 



22 





57 



48 



23 



28 



25 





59 



49 



32 



36 



29 





62 



54 



38 



37 



43 





66 





40 



46 



5i 





67 





41 



53 



58 





75 





55 



56 



7i 





80 





61 



60 



73 









68 



72 



79 









69 



78 











76 









378] 



