ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 321 



and powerful claws. Curiously, however, it has no lower 

 jaw and the same is true of the numerous glyphs representing 

 the head of the animal. This is so pronounced a charac- 

 teristic, that it may be doubted if the open-mouthed head 

 and the single limb shown in PL 13, fig. 2, really picture the 

 same animal, though otherwise apparently referable to the 

 crocodile. In the various glyphs showing the head of this 

 species, the prominent, elongate eyebrow and the absence 

 of the lower jaw are noteworthy points, while the teeth may 

 vary in number from three to six. 



The glyphs (PL 13, figs. 1, 3-7) represent the Nahua day 

 sign Cipactli corresponding to the Maya day Imix. In the 

 band of constellation signs in Dresden 52b (PL 13, fig. 10), 

 there occurs a single figure with a long curled eyebrow and 

 lacking the lower jaw. In the upper jaw three teeth are 

 indicated. A comparison of this figure with the glyphs in 

 the Nuttall Codex seems to leave little doubt that it represents 

 a crocodile. This is the sign which Forstemann (1906, p. 

 206) interprets as standing for Saturn. PL 13, fig. 12, is 

 certainly the same sign as it stands in relatively the same 

 position in the constellation band on Dresden 53a. It repre- 

 sents the highly conventionalized head of a crocodile. On 

 Stela 10 from Piedras Negras (Maler, 1901-1903, PL 19) the 

 same glyph is seen. 



The range of the alligator in North America does not 

 extend to Yucatan, hence the crocodile, which does occur 

 there, is taken as the original of all these figures. There is 

 nothing in the latter that would distinguish it from the alli- 

 gator. 



Turtles. Representations of the turtle (Maya, ak) are 

 not uncommon among the Mayas. At Uxmal there is a ruined 

 building called Casa de las Tortugas on which at intervals 

 around the cornice there are carvings of turtles. Turtles 

 of at least two species occur in the Tro-Cortesianus. With one 

 exception, they seem to be limited to this codex. That shown 

 on PL 14, figs. 1-3, 5, is a large species with the dorsal scutes 

 represented by large diamond-shaped pieces. There is little 

 IV. 21 



