ANIMAL FIGURES IN THE MAYA CODICES 359 



not generally regarded as aggressive animals are of a preda- 

 cious nature. No drawings of the coyote have been noted 

 in the Maya codices. 



Dog (Canis). The dog (Maya, peq) evidently played an 

 important part in the life of the Mayas as it does- with other 

 races of men generally. On Pis. 36, 37, we have included 

 ■certain figures of dogs from several manuscripts. These 

 may represent two breeds, for it is well known that both a 

 hairy and a hairless variety were found by the early discov- 

 ■erers in Mexico.* Hairiness is more or less clearly indicated 

 in the following figures:— PL 36, figs. 1-7, 12; PL 37, figs. 

 4, 5. The figures of dogs usually agree in having a black 

 mark about the eyes that frequently is produced as a down- 

 ward curved tongue from the posterior canthus. Sometimes, 

 AS in PL 37, figs. 1-3, 10, this tongue is not blackened. Com- 

 monly also black patches are elsewhere distributed on the 

 body, generally on the back. These markings are probably 

 the patches of color separated by white areas that occur fre- 

 quently in dogs or other animals after long domestication. f 

 We have included among the figures of dogs two in which 

 1ihe eye is differently represented and which are unspotted 

 (PL 37, figs. 4, 6). These modifications may have some 

 special significance, but otherwise the animals appear most 

 closely to represent dogs. 



We have already suggested that the animal attired in 

 man's clothing, and walking erect in Dresden 25a-28a is 

 likewise a dog, though Stempell believes it to represent the 

 opossum in support of which he calls attention to its promi- 

 nent vibrissae and slightly curled tail. 



*Relacion de la Ciudad de Merida (1898, p. 63): "Ay perros naturales 

 dela tierra que no tienen pelo ninguno, y no ladran, que tienen los dientes 

 ralos e agudos, las orejas pequenas, tiesas y levantadas^a estos engordan 

 los yndios para comer y los tienen por gran rregalo — estos se juntan con 

 los perros de espana y enjendran y los mestizos que dellos proceden ladran 

 y tienen pelo y tambien los comen los yndios cano alos demas, y tambien los 

 yndios tienen otra suerte de perros que tienen pelo pero tan poco ladran y 

 son del mesmo tamano que los demas." 



fBrinton (1895, p. 72) regards these spots as representing stars. 



