ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 315 



perhaps representing a frog, and behind him a serpent. The 

 reptiles in 13b-18b, are all associated with the idea of rain, 

 the turtle and frog also appearing in this section. In 30a 

 (PI. 11, fig. 1), god B and a female figure are both pouring 

 water from a jar, as they stand on the body of a serpent. In 

 32a, the black god (L) is seen in the rain, and a serpent is 

 near, while in 32b and 33b (PL 9, fig. 1), the serpent forms 

 the belt of god L, and a female figure and water are seen in 

 both cases. The blue color of the snake and of god B in 31b 

 (PI. 11, fig. 2) may also suggest water. 



God B also occurs in connection with the serpent in Dres- 

 den 42a (PL 8, fig. 14), where the god is seated on the reptile, 

 in Tro-Cortesianus, 10 b, where the head of the same god is the 

 head of the snake, and in Tro-Cortesianus 19a, where god B 

 again and god A are each seated on the open jaws of a serpent. 



The astronomical role of the serpent is noted in Dresden 

 56b, 57b (PL 10, fig. 3), Tro-Cortesianus 5b, 12b, 15b, and 

 67b, where the snake is shown in connection with a line of 

 constellation signs, the kin or sun sign prominent in most 

 of the drawings. In the "battle of the constellations" in 

 Dresden 60, the serpent appears forming a sort of altar, the 

 seat of a figure which is supported by another figure. A 

 serpent head also appears at the foot of the latter figure. 



That the serpent appears associated with the idea of time 

 seems clear from the fact of the long number series in Dresden 

 61, 62 (PL 10, fig. 7), and 69, which are shown in the spaces 

 made by the winding of the serpents' bodies. In Tro-Cor- 

 tesianus 13a-16a, four large reptiles appear in connection 

 with the lines of day signs. 



The study of the serpent used as a head-dress is inter- 

 •esting. As noted previously, quite a different kind of snake 

 seems to be represented when used in this connection. Two 

 •other points come out in this investigation, namely, that 

 it is only with female figures that the serpent is employed 

 3ls a head-dress, and in far the greater number of cases the 

 women are shown, either in the act of offering something, 

 or of pouring water from a jar. The usual type of serpent 



