ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 333 



Dresden 3a (PI. 19, fig. 7), it appears at the top of the tree 

 above the human sacrifice and seems to be in the act of con- 

 ^suming the victim. In Tro-Cortesianus 91c, it also appears 

 in a tree. In Tro-Cortesianus 40a (PI. 17, fig. 9), and 42a 

 (PL 19, fig. 1), it is shown as eating the entrails of a deer. 

 In the first case, the bird looks like a king vulture, although 

 this is the only instance where this species is shown as a bird 

 of prey. In Tro-Cortesianus 28b and 36b (PL 18, fig. 17), 

 the black vulture appears eating the Kan sign. In the first 

 example, the Kan represents the newly sowed corn, in the 

 second, the Kan is held by god F. Landa (1864, p. 230)* 

 records that in the Cauac year there was a ceremony to pre- 

 vent the ants and the birds devouring the corn. In Dresden 

 34b and 35b, the vulture is shown on top of the head-dress 

 of god F, evidently the enemy of the harvest and, again, on 

 35b (PL 19, fig. 4) on top of the Cauac sign. Its role as a 

 bird of prey is further shown in Dresden 36b (PL 19, fig. 11), 

 where it is shown attacking a serpent. 



This vulture is associated with god B in Dresden 69b, 

 with god M in Tro-Cortesianus 70a (PL 18, fig. 12), and with 

 god D in Tro-Cortesianus 67a (PL 17, fig. 1). The last may 

 be the king rather than the black vulture, as suggested above. 

 The black vulture occurs only once as the usual head-dress, 

 in Dresden 17b (PL 18, fig. 13), and here in connection with 

 a female figure and the idea of birth. Two birds, probably 

 vultures, appear over the enclosure around the head of god C 

 in Tro-Cortesianus 100b (PL 19, fig. 12). In the Lower 

 Chamber of the Temple of the Tigers occurs a black vulture 

 in bas-relief with a necklace represented (PL 19, fig. 14). 



The glyph of the king vulture has already been discussed. 

 There are other glyphs which seem to show the black vulture, 

 although it is quite possible that no sharp distinction was 



*"Este alio en que la letra era Cauac y reynava el Bacab-Hozanek tenian, 

 allende de la pronosticada mortandad, por ruyn, por que dezian les avian 

 los muchos soles de matar los maizales, y comer las muchas hormigas lo que 

 sembrassen y los paxaros, y porque esto no seria en todas partes avria en 

 algunos comida, la qual avrian con gran trabajo." 



