ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 343 



previous examples of glyphs the full drawing of the animal 

 or bird has been found in connection with them, here with the 

 quetzal glyphs there is no instance where a drawing of the 

 bird occurs with them. A curious human figure (PL 24, 

 fig. 19), with a head decoration similar to the frontal curve 

 and markings on the quetzal glyphs (fig. 14-16), may pos- 

 sibly represent this bird in some relation. 



Blue Macaw {Ara militaris). A large macaw (Maya, 

 mox or tut ) is undoubtedly pictured in the figures in PL 25. 

 The least conventionalized drawing found is that shown in 

 Dresden 16c (PL 25, fig. 2), a bird characterized by long 

 narrow tail feathers, a heavy bill, and a series of scale-like 

 markings on the face and about the eye. Further conven- 

 tionalized drawings are found in PL 25, figs. 3, 10, 13, and 

 PL 26, fig. 1. In all these the tail is less characteristic, though 

 composed of long, narrow feathers, and the facial markings 

 are reduced to a ring of circular marks about the eye. These 

 last undoubtedly represent, as supposed by Stempell, the 

 bare space about the eye found in certain of these large parrots. 

 In addition, the space between the eye and the base of the 

 bill is partially bare with small patches of feathers scattered 

 at somewhat regular intervals in rows. It is probable that 

 this appearance is represented by the additional round marks 

 about the base of the bill in PL 25, figs. 1, 2, 5, 8, the last 

 two of which show the head only. There has hitherto been 

 some question as to the identity of certain stone carvings, 

 similar to that on Stela B from Copan, of which a portion is 

 shown in PL 25, fig. 8. This has even been interpreted as 

 the trunk of an elephant or a mastodon, but is unquestionably 

 a macaw's beak. In addition to the ornamental cross- 

 hatching on the beak, which is also seen on the glyph from 

 the same stela (PL 25, fig. 5), there is an ornamental scroll 

 beneath the eye which likewise is crosshatched and sur- 

 rounded by a ring of subcircular marks that continue to the 

 base of the beak. The nostril is the large oval marking 

 directly in front of the eye. 



The animal in Dresden 40b (PL 25, fig. 1) has always 



