332 ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 



upon a man. Stempell thinks they may be ravens, but this 

 is very doubtful, for the raven probably was unknown to the 

 Mayas, since its range is to the northward. What appears 

 to be a crest is seen on the head of the bird in PL 19, fig. 4. 

 The black coloring and the shape of the bill otherwise suggest 

 the black vulture, though perhaps the crest would indicate 

 the harpy eagle. Similarly, PL 19, fig. 14, is provided with 

 a sort of tuft or crest, but its general appearance is suggestive 

 of the vulture. A pottery whistle (text fig. 2) from the Uloa 

 Valley evidently represents a black vulture. The head of 

 the bird shows the characteristic wrinkled appearance seen 



Fig. 2. 



POTTERY WHISTLE, VULTURE. ULOA VALLEY, HONDURAS. 



in the drawings, with the heavy beak. The absence of the 

 rostral knob would preclude its being a king vulture. 



It is natural that this bird should find an important 

 place in the Maya writing, as it is an abundant species in the 

 region considered, and of great importance as a scavenger. 

 The black vulture seems to lack the mythological character 

 associated with the king vulture. It appears usually in 

 connection with death and in the role of a bird of prey. This 

 is especially true in the Tro-Cortesianus where in 24d, 26d 

 (PL 19, figs. 5, 6) and 28c, it is attacking a human being, 

 in the first and last cases represented as dead. In 86a and 

 87a, the bird is shown plucking out the eye of a man. In 



