INTRODUCTION. 



The various peoples inhabiting Mexico and Central 

 America in early pre-Columbian times were accustomed to 

 record various events, especially in regard to their calendar and 

 the reHgious ceremonials in relation to it, on long strips of skin 

 or bark. These were usually painted on both sides and folded 

 together Hke a screen. Several of these codices are still in ex- 

 istence from the Nahua and Zapotec areas in Mexico, but only 

 three have come down to us from the Maya region which is 

 included in the peninsula of Yucatan, the states of Tabasco 

 and Chiapas in Mexico, and portions of Guatemala and Hon- 

 duras. These three manuscripts are the Dresden Codex in the 

 Royal Pubhc Library at Dresden, the Tro-Cortesianus (formerly 

 considered to have been two, the Troano and the Cortesianus) 

 in the National Archaeological Museum at Madrid, and the 

 Peresianus in the National Library at Paris. These pre-Colum- 

 bian manuscripts have all been published in facsimile. (See 

 bibliography.) 



These remains of a once extensive literature show evidence 

 not only of considerable intellectual attainments on the part of 

 their authors but also'of a high degree of artistic skill in the draw- 

 ings and hieroglyphics. The frequent occurrence in these 

 manuscripts of representations of animals showing various 

 degrees of elaboration and conventionahzation has led us to 

 undertake the task of identifying these figures as far as possible 

 and studying the uses and significance of the several species, a 



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