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year began in the winter solstice, like the year of 

 the Chinese, it is natural enough, that, in the 

 periodical series of the signs of the years, the 

 first term should be tochtli, though in the series 

 of the twenty signs of the days tochtli is preceded 

 by colli. 



We also know, from the notions which Si- 

 guenza derived from the works of Ixtlilxochitl, 

 that the four folds of the serpent, and the four 

 asterisms which belong to them, indicate the 

 four seasons, the four elements, and the cardinal 

 poinis. Earth was dedicated to the rabbit, and 

 water to the cane ; and we have seen, in speak- 

 ing of the signs of the night, that Tepeyollotli, 

 one of the divinities who dwelt in caverns, and 

 Cinteotl, the goddess of the harvests, accompany 

 the diurnal signs rabbit and cane. The sense of 

 these allegories is too clear to want explanation. 

 The four signs of the equinoxes and solstices, 

 chosen in a series of twenty signs, recall to mind 

 also the four royal stars, Aldebaran, Regulus, 

 Antares, and Fomalhaut, celebrated throughout 

 Asia, and presiding over the seasons*. In the 

 'Xew Continent, the indications of the cycle of 

 fifty-two years form, as it were, the four seasons 

 of the great year; and the Mexican astrologers 

 were pleased in seeing one of the four equi- 



* FiraiieBs, Lib. G, e. 1. 



