ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 311 



a ted with feathers. The culture hero of the Nahuas, Quetzal- 

 coatl (feathered serpent) corresponds to a similar god among 

 the Mayas, Kukulcan (also meaning feathered serpent). The 

 feathers of the quetzal are the ones commonly used in connec- 

 tion with the serpent. 



Any attempt at identification of the species represented is 

 .beset by grave difficulties for so conventionahzed have the 

 figures often become that, except in the case of the rattlesnake 

 with its rattles, there are no characteristic marks by which the 

 species may be known. It is natural to suppose that the species 

 used for artistic purposes would be those that are most note- 

 worthy because of their size, coloring, or venomous quahties. 

 No doubt a number of harmless species were also used in the 

 religious ceremonies.* Such may be those used as hair orna- 

 ments in many of the figures (PI. 8, figs. 7-13, 15) and in which 

 no indication of a rattle is to be seen. The fierce eye of these 

 reptiles is shown by means of an exaggerated overhanging brow 

 •occasionally embelhshed by recurved crests (PI. 8, figs. 10, 11, 

 13, 15). These crests are sometimes shown as two or three 

 stalked knobs (PI. 10, fig. 7) that Stempell was misled into 

 identifying as the eyes of snails. Various heads of snakes usu- 

 ally with fangs exposed and tongue protruding are pictured in 



*We have added here a Spanish description from the Relacion de la 

 -Civdad de Merida (1900, pp. 66, 67) of the varieties of serpent found in the 

 country. "Ay una suerte de culebra que llaman los naturales taxinchan, 

 de una tercia de largo, que para andar hinca la cabeza en el suelo y da un 

 •salto, y de aquella suerte dando saltos anda, la espalda y la cabeza tiene 

 doraday la punta dela cola estesecria en los montes,y quando pica a alguna 

 persona le hazereventar sangre por todos los porosdel cuerpo que parezeque 

 suda sangre y si no es le haze algun rremedio muere dentro de un dia natural 

 y para la mordedura desta culebra tienen por rremedio los naturales dar a 

 bever ala tal persona chile y hoja de piciete molido junto y desleido en 

 agua, y con esto guarecen e sanan — ay biboras muy grandes y ponzofiosas 

 de una vara e mas de largo, y tan gruesa como un brazo, que tienen cas- 

 cabeles en la punta de la cola, y si muerden matan sino se rremedio con 

 brebedad, y tienen los naturales por rremedio beber chile e piciete como 

 para la mordedura del taxinchan — ay otras suertes de culebras que se 

 llaman cocob, de tres y cuatro varas de largo y tan gruesas como una lanza 

 .gineta, que tanbien son muy ponzonosas, y al que pican haze salir sangre 



