n of the codex where baptism and naming are
shown. An owl's head seems to be shown on the end of a warrior's staff
in the bas-relief of the Lower Chamber of the Temple of the Tigers at
Chichen Itza (Pl. 22, fig. 4). Pl. 22, figs. 5, 7, show two owls from
the Aubin manuscript; the first is considered to be the screech owl
(_chiqualli_) and the second the horned owl (_tecolotl_, in Nahuatl).
Pl. 22, figs. 1, 3, show two drawings of owls from Nahua manuscripts.

YUCATAN SCREECH OWL or MOAN BIRD (_Otus choliba thompsoni_). A second
species of owl is represented by the figures on Pl. 23. This has
likewise two feathered tufts or "ears" on its head and is always shown
with the head, at least, in profile, but the tufts one in front, the
other at the back of the head. The facial disc is not very prominent the
beak rather long, the tail short, and the plumage somewhat mottled. A
dark ring usually surrounds the eye. It is, with little doubt, the
screech owl, the only other form of eared owl commonly met with in the
Central American region, and in Yucatan is represented by the race above
indicated. This owl, under the name of the Moan bird,[338-*] is always
associated with the idea of death among the Mayas. The familiarity of
this species and its mournful quavering cry uttered at night have no
doubt led to its association with death and mystery as with owls in
other parts of the world.

This Moan bird has an important place in the Maya pantheon, as it is the
representative in many places of god A, the Death god. It appears with a
human body in Dresden 7c (Pl. 23, fig. 1), 10a (Pl. 23, fig. 8), and 11a
(Pl. 23, fig. 3) and in Tro-Cortesianus 66a (Pl. 23, fig. 2). In each of
these places, it occupies the space in which one of the regular gods is
usually found. In Dresden 10a, the day reached in the _tonalamatl_
reckoning is _Cimi_, meaning death, and here, as has been noted, is
found the Moan bird, the symbol of death, with another sign of death in
the circle just above the head of the bird (Pl. 23, fig. 8).

This owl is used as a head-dress itself, but always for women, Dresden
16a (Pl. 23, fig. 19), 18b (Pl. 23, fig. 5), Tro-Cortesianus 94c (Pl.
23, fig. 4), and 95c (Pl. 23, fig. 20). It occurs in both manuscripts in
the pages mentioned several times before, where birth, baptism, and the
naming of children are shown. The curious figure, with a head similar to
Pl. 23, fig. 21, carried on the back of some of the women, is the Moan