ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 299 



mestica. It is well known that this bee was kept by the ancient 

 Mexicans, and what appear to be improvised hives are shown 

 in PI. 2, figs. 7, 10, where the combs are noted depending from 

 the ceiling or walls. These combs are seen to be composed of 

 cells roughly four-sided for the most part, though in fig. 11 

 several hexagonal cells are present in the mass of comb held by 

 the black god, M. Darwin, in his Origin of Species, has called 

 attention to the form of the comb built by this bee, and con- 

 siders its irregular cells of from three to six sides intermediate 

 in their degree of perfection between those of the bumble bee 

 (Bombus) and the honey bee of Europe (Apis mellifica). The 

 Caban form in connnection with the hive in fig. 10 may have 

 some phonetic signifiance as kab is honey in Maya. This sign 

 occurs very frequently in the pages devoted to apiculture. 



The figures of the bees in the codex show a number of inter- 

 esting variations. In figs. 1-3, 5, 11, the insect is less conven- 

 tionaUzed than in figs. 4, 6 (PL 2). The hairy feet are well in- 

 dicated as well as the segmented body and a single pair of wings. 

 All the figures show an anterodorsal view so that, on account 

 of the size of the first pair of legs, only the tops of the second 

 pair appear in PL 2, figs. 1, 3, 5. In fig. 2, however, two pairs 

 are seen, and in figs. 4, 6, the anthropomorphic tendency is 

 further shown by providing the insect with two pairs of limbs 

 each with four or five digits, and a conventionaUzed face, eyes 

 and mouth. In PL 2, fig. 1, the bee is represented without 

 mouthparts but antennae only. This may indicate a drone or 

 a queen bee that takes no active part in the work of gathering 

 honey or making comb. Fig. 2 is perhaps the least reduced of 

 any of the figures and shows the worker bee with antennae and 

 mouthparts. 



The so-called '^cloud balls" of the day sign Cauac (PL 2, fig. 

 8) may represent the honey comb. Cauac is usually supposed 

 to have some connection with Hghtening and thunder although 

 Valentini agrees with the authors in associating Cauac with the 

 bees and honey. The Cauac-like forms in PL 2, figs. 7, 10, have 

 been described above as hives. The representation of legs in 

 the full drawing of a bee as four large Hmbs, an anterior and a 



