ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 305 



(PI. 4, fig. 5) is probably a crayfish, perhaps Cambarus monte- 

 zumae. It seems unlikely that the so-called Spanish lobster 

 (Palinurus) can be intended or the powerful spined antennae 

 would have been shown. It is interesting to note that the 

 stalked eyes are clearly pictured. The second example seems 

 to be a crab (PL 4, fig. 6). Two large chelae of nearly equal 

 size are simply drawn and four rounded projections at the top 

 of the figure appear to represent the walking legs. Its rotund 

 form and subequal chelae suggest the land crab, Geocarcinus, 

 but exact determination is of course impossible. What is cer- 

 tainly a large crab, perhaps of the same species, is shown in Tro- 

 Cortesianus 88c (PI. 36, fig. 1) in connection with a dog whose 

 feet it seems about to pinch with its two large chelae. The shell 

 is ornamented in a conventionalized way as if with scales. 



ARACHNIDA 



In Codex~|Borbonicus 9 (PI. 4, fig. 4) there is repre- 

 sented a stout-bodied form of spider with two sharply 

 pointed chehcerae projecting from the conventionaUzed mouth. 

 These characteristics together with the absence of any web, 

 suggest a large predacious species, probably the tarantula 

 (Tarantula sp.) which is common in Mexico. The acute 

 powers of observation shown by the artist are evinced in this 

 figure since he draws the spider correctly with eight legs instead 

 of the six or ten sometimes seen in drawings by our own illus- 

 trators. 



ARACHNOIDEA 



The scorpion (Maya, sinaan) figures prominently in 

 the Tro-Cortesianus, two drawings from which are 

 shown (PL 4, figs. 1, 2). As here conventionahzed, the jointed 

 appendages are represented as composed of an indefinite num- 

 ber of round segments. The large chelate pedipalps are also 

 prominently figured but the smaller walking legs are commonly 

 omitted. In PL 4, fig. 1, however, there is a pair of posterior 

 chelate appendages which are probably added to give a more 

 IV. 20 



