ining that the animal is slow
of motion, and is taken to represent the time when the sun seems to
stand still. He bases his theory (1904, p. 423) in part on the fact that
the sign for the Maya month _Kayab_, which is the month in which the
summer solstice occurs, shows the face of the turtle (Pl. 14, fig. 10).
This undoubtedly is correct, but he seems to us wrong in classing as
turtles the figure in Dresden 40b (Pl. 25, fig. 1) with its accompanying
glyph (Pl. 25, fig. 6).

The turtle is found in connection with two sun (_kin_) signs beneath a
constellation band in Tro-Cortesianus 71a. Resting upon his body are
three _Cauac_ signs. The single representation of the turtle in the
Dresden Codex is on page 49 (Pl. 14, fig. 12) where a god is pictured
with a turtle's head. The heavy sharp beak indicates that he represents
one of the sea turtles previously mentioned. He is shown transfixed by a
spear and corresponds to the other figures in the lower parts of pp.
46-50. These all have some connection with the Venus period which is
considered in these pages.[323-*]

A number of glyphs representing the turtle are found throughout the
codices (Pl. 14, figs. 7-10). They are all characterized by the heavy
beak. It may be noted that these glyphs are virtually the same as the
sign for the first _a_ in Landa's alphabet. As the turtle is called _ak_
or _aak_ in Maya, the reason is clear for the selection of this sign for
an _a_ sound. These turtle glyphs often occur alone; one, however, (Pl.
14, fig. 7) is found in connection with the swimming turtle in
Tro-Cortesianus 17a (Pl. 14, fig. 3). Figs. 7-9 agree in having the
small scrolls at the posterior end of the eye. The head shown in Pl. 14,
fig. 10, has quite a different eye, though otherwise similar. Its
resemblance to the glyph on Pl. 25, fig. 9, is marked and suggests the
parrot. Schellhas (1904, p. 44) gives in his fig. 64, a glyph for the
turtle which seems clearly to be a glyph for the parrot (Pl. 25, fig.
7).

AVES

HERONS (_Ardea herodias_; _Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis_). Only a few
water birds are shown in the Maya works. Several are found, however,
that seem to picture herons (Pl. 15, figs. 1-7). The best of these (fig.
5), a carving from the west side panel of the Temple of the Cross at
Palenque shows a crested heron standing on one foot and holding in its
bill a fish. A second figure (Pl. 15, fig. 1) is from the stucco
ornament from the Palace, House B, at Palenq