front and above him.

At the opposite side of the tree, facing the almost unrecognizable head of
the bird, a personage stands on an elaborately carved monstrous head,
covered with a maize-plant. He is wearing a necklace and medallion like
that on the tree itself. His head is surmounted by a high cap bearing a
conventionalized flower-bud. A belt in the form of a serpent with open
jaws, encircles his waist and he is holding aloft in his hands, a
miniature, human, seated figure with folded arms, a bead necklace and an
indescribable head-dress and masked face. His attitude indicates that, by
offering this figure, he is performing some rite. On the other hand, a
conventionalized sign for water seems to be issuing from the bird's head
and descending upon the figure whilst puffs of breath and seeds issuing
from its beak seem to be directed towards the tiny effigy of a human
being.

Reverting now to the "Tablet of the Cross I," we find precisely analogous
figures at its sides, only in reversed positions. To the right of the
spectator stands the priest with a tall hat surmounted by the flower-bud,
somewhat resembling a fleur-de-lis. The small human figure he is offering
is recumbent and is being held out so as to come in contact with the
pendant issuing from the bird's head.

The figure on the opposite side, with the head-dress and twig with three
leaves, is facing the central tree and holding a staff which, in this case
although combined with other emblems, clearly appears to represent a young
maize plant, with its roots below, and growing shoot with leaves above. As
on the other tablets there are columns of glyphs behind each figure,
whilst the personage holding the maize-plant is associated with a detached
group, in two portions, consisting of 10+4 glyphs, and is standing on a
large glyph associated with a numeral.

Having thus cursorily brought out some special points observable on both
"Cross Tablets," let us now glance at the tablet in the "Temple of the
Sun." On this we again find columns of glyphs and a personage at each side
of a central figure. The same peculiarities and differences of costume are
observable here as on the preceding tablets; but each personage holds a
small, grotesque human figure with a long nose, and each stands on the
back of a human being, that to the left of the spectator especially
appearing to be a conquered enemy.(68)

Two over-burdened-looking seated figures, one of which is clothed in a