310 ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 



Tree-toad {Hyla eximia). Of great interest are the figures 

 in Tro-Cortesianus 26a and b (PL 8, figs. 1, 3), showing a god 

 with expanded finger tips. and characterized further by the 

 presence of two parallel black stripes from the hinder and lower 

 margins of the eye respectively. The knob-Hke finger tips at 

 once suggest one of the tree-toads, and the presence of the two 

 lines seems to indicate Hyla eximia as the species represented. 

 In this tree-toad there is a long black lateral fine running pos- 

 teriorly from the tympanum and above it a shorter hne just as 

 in the drawings. It appears to be a common species in the 

 valley of Mexico though but Uttle seems to have been written 

 of its habits. At the beginning of the rainy season it repairs 

 to pools of water to breed and is then very noticeable from its 

 loud voice. No doubt its importance in the Maya economy was 

 from its conspicuousness at the beginning of the rainy period. 

 This fact is brought out more strongly when we consider that 

 these gods representing the tree-toad are associated with agri- 

 culture and the sowing of grain at the beginning of the rainy 

 season. Forstemann (1902, p. 35) identifies these figures as 

 god F. They are quite unUke the usual representation of this 

 god and are clearly god P as Schellhas (1904, p. 39) indicates. 

 It is interesting to note that the two black fines behind the eye 

 are also seen in the other gods shown in Tro-Cortesianus 26a 

 and b although the knob-like finger tips are lacking. The 

 glyph for this tree-toad god is recognized in the fifth place at 

 the top of the same page (PL 8, fig. 2) by the same two black 

 lines under and behind the eye. 



REPTILIA 



Serpent. It would be impossible in the present paper to 

 enter into any lengthy discussion of the use of the serpent (Maya 

 kan) in Mexico and Central America. It seems to be one of the 

 main elements in the reUgion and consequently in the art of the 

 Mayas and Mexican peoples. It is represented again and again 

 in many forms and varied combinations. It underhes the 

 whole general trend of Maya art. The serpent is often associ- 



