348 ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 



is but one that appears to show the brocket. This occurs in 

 Tro-Cortesianus 92a (PI. 30, fig. 2) , where a hoofed animal 

 with a single spike-Hke horn is shown, seemingly impaled on 

 a stake set in the bottom of a pit-fall. As stated by Stempell^ 

 this animal from the character of its horns is probably to 

 be identified as a brocket, though there is nothing to preclude 

 its being a young spike buck of some species of Odocoileus. 



Yucatan Deer {Odocoileus yucatanensis; 0. thomasi). 

 Several species of small deer (Maya, ke) occur in Mexico and 

 Central America whose relationships are not yet thoroughly 

 understood (Pis. 30-32). The species of Yucatan and south- 

 ern Mexico have small lyrate antlers with few, short tines, 

 rather different from the broader type of the more northern 

 species with well developed secondary tines. The former type 

 of antlers seems to be indicated by the conventionalized 

 structure shown in PL 32, figs. 8-12. These probably repre- 

 sent the Yucatan deer or its ally Thomas's deer of southern 

 Mexico. Two of the figures, both from the Nuttall Codex,, 

 show the lower incisor teeth (PI. 32, figs. 8, 11), though in 

 other cases these are omitted. The larger part of the figures 

 of deer represent the does which have no antlers. For this 

 reason it is impossible to distinguish females of the brocket 

 from those of the other species of deer, if indeed, the Mayas 

 themselves made such a distinction. The characteristics 

 of deer drawings are the long head and ears, the prominently 

 elevated tail with the hair bristling from its posterior side 

 (the characteristic position of the tail when the deer is run- 

 ning), the hoofs, and less often the presence of incisors in 

 the lower jaw only and of a curious oblong mark at each end 

 of the eye, possibly representing the large tear gland. 



The deer plays a large part in the Maya ceremonials. 

 It is an important, perhaps the most important animal offer- 

 ing as a sacrifice to the gods. Several pages of the Tro- 

 Cortesianus (38-49) are given over to the hunt and the animal 

 usually represented is the deer, the hunters are shown, the 

 methods of trapping, the return from the chase, and the 

 rites in connection with the animals slain. Tro-Cortesianus 



