APPENDIX. 
417 
taking a nibble of their burdens, which would probably be the 
case if this material was intended for food; and Mr. Belt thinks 
that the smaller ants, who seldom leave the nest and never carry 
leaves, have the task of cutting the leaves up into very small 
bits, which serve as manure for a minute fungus, which is the 
real ant-food. It seems that “ some of the ants make mistakes, 
and carry in unsuitable leaves ; thus grass is always rejected by 
them. But I have seen some ants, perhaps young ones, carrying 
leaves of grass ; but after a while these pieces are always brought 
out again and thrown away. I can imagine a young ant get¬ 
ting a severe ear-wigging from one of the major-domos for its 
stupidity.” 
QUICHE PRAYER. 
Here is a translation I have made from the Spanish version 
given by Milla of a Quiche prayer; and as the petitioner is a 
supposed Christian, it will serve to illustrate the theological sta¬ 
tus of the Indio converts, and no less of their descendants of the 
present day. Compare it with the heathen prayer (p. 249) : — 
“ 0 Jesus Christ my God, thou God the Son with the Father and 
the Holy Spirit art but one God ! To-day on this day, at this hour, 
on this day of Tijax, I invoke the holy spirits who attend the dawn 
and the last glimmerings of day! With the holy spirits I pray to 
thee, 0 chief of the Genii who dwell in this mountain of Sija-Raxquin ! 
Come, blessed spirits of Juan Vachiac, of D. Domingo Yachiac, ot 
Juan Ixquiaptop ; blessed spirits of Francisco Ecoquij, ot Diego Soom, 
of Juan Tay, of Alonso Tzep ; holy spirits, I repeat, of Diego Tzi- 
quin and Don Pedro Noj ; you, O priests, to whom all things are 
open, and thou Chief of the Genii; ye Gods of the mountain, Gods of 
the plain, Don Puruperto Martin, — come, accept this incense, accept 
now this candle ! Come also mother mine, holy Mary, and thou my 
Lord of Esquipulas, the Lord of Capetagua, . . . Captain Santiago, 
Saint Christopher, . . . thou Lord and King Pascual, be present here ! 
And thou frost, thou God of the plain, thou God Quiacbasulup, thou 
Lord of Retal-euleu [here follows a long list of names of towns and 
mountains] ! I make myself compadre and comadre, I who pray ; I 
am the witness and the brother of this man who makes himself } T our 
son, of this man who prays. O blessed spirits, suffer no evil to 
27 
