298 ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 



only is seen as a white fissure against the general dark back- 

 ground. An earthenware vessel representing a tapir (PL 28, 

 fig. 1) shows a string of OUva shells about the animaPs neck and 

 similar strings very often decorate the belts worn by the person- 

 ages represented on the stelae of Copan. 



The shell in the codices is found in most cases to represent 

 zero in the Maya numerical calculations. Just as a bar has the 

 meaning five, and a dot one, so the shell often has the signifi- 

 cation of zero. This is seen especially in th^ numeration by 

 position in the codices (PI. 1, figs. 7, 8, 10-14). 



Other Mollusca. In addition to the species just described 

 at least two or three others occur in the Nuttall Codex, but so 

 conventionahzed that it is out of the question to hazard a guess 

 at their identity. One (PI. 1, figs. 16, 17) is a bivalve with long 

 pointed shell, another (PI. 1, figs. 18-20) is rounder with con- 

 ventionaHzed scroll-hke markings. Figs. 21, 22 (PI. 1) mav 

 be a side view of the closed bivalve shown in figs. 16, 17, or 

 possibly a species of cowry. In Uke manner, fig. 13 is probably 

 a side view of the mollusc shown in fig. 14, for it is seen that in 

 each case the figure showing the two opened valves has a bi- 

 partite extended foot, whereas that of the single valve is simple. 

 This doubhng of the single median foot of the bivalve may be 

 an artistic necessity for the sake of balance, or perhaps repre- 

 sents both foot and siphon at the same end. Figs. 23, 24 (PI. 1) 

 seem to represent molluscs still further reduced and conven- 

 tionalized. These molluscs from the Nuttall Codex (PI. 1, figs. 

 15-24) are almost all found represented in the blue water, where- 

 as those which stand for zero in the Maya codices have no imme- 

 diate association with either water or rain. 



INSECTA 



The Honey Bee (Melipona). A portion of the Tro-Corte- 

 sianus appears to treat of apiculture, as previously noted, or, 

 at all events, contains numerous figures of bees, some of which 

 are shown in PI. 2. As stated by Stempell (1908, p. 735) this 

 is doubtless a species of Melipona, probably M. fulvipes or do- 



