MAYA ART 43 



each month. In the next case on the left comes first a panel of accidental 

 visitors — stragglers from other parts of the country and from other 

 countries which have been taken within our limits — then the General 

 Collection of all birds found within this area, arranged according to the 

 current American system of classification, beginning with the Grebes 

 and continuing around the hall to end with the Thrushes by the south- 

 west window. 



Besides the table case containing the eggs (often with the nest) of 

 species known to nest within fifty miles of the City, there are down the 

 middle of the room a series of groups of local breeding birds with their 

 nests. These, the forerunners of our "Habitat Groups," were the first 

 of their kind made for the Museum. 



At the head of the stairs, on one side is a map of the country within 

 fifty miles; on the other, exhibits which explain what is meant by a 

 subspecies, and through what changes of plumage a bird passes from the 

 time of hatching. 



At the other end of the room, between the windows, is a bust of John 

 Burroughs, by C. S. Pietro. 



Southwest Wing 

 ANTIQUITIES OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 



Continuing west past the collection of local birds we enter the south- 

 west wing, devoted to the ancient civilizations of Mexico nad Central 

 M . America. In the first hall the casts of large upright stones, 



completely covered by sculpture, represent the art of the 

 Maya civilization in Guatemala and Honduras. Nearly all carry deciph- 

 erable dates in a strange system of counting time. 



At the left of the entrance on the south side of the hall is the extensive 

 Costa Rican exhibit of Mr. Minor C. Keith. This includes stone sculpture 

 and a great variety of pottery interesting in form and design. To this 

 collection also belong the gold and jade arranged in the cases in the 

 center of the hall. See page Ifi. 



On the south wall is a copy of the painted sculptures of the Temple of 

 the Jaguars at Chichen Itza. Here are shown warriors in procession 

 who seem to be coming to worship a serpent god. Prayers are repre- 

 sented as coming from their lips. This sculpture, while Maya, shows 

 strong evidence of Mexican influence in certain of its details. 



In the table cases on this side of the hall are facsimile reproductions 

 of native books or codices, which were painted free-hand on strips of 



