form in the latter, as on Plates V*, VII*, and X*. It is also on
Plate 38 of the Dresden Codex.

The relation of these symbols to the conventional figures of houses or
huts inserted at the points where they are found, together with the form,
which shows an attempt to represent the thatched or leaf covered roof,
leaves no doubt that they are used for the purpose indicated.

[Illustration: No. 19 _a_ _b_]

_Buk_ (?). There are good and, it is believed, satisfactory reasons for
concluding that these symbols are intended to denote the action of
whirling a stick to produce fire or rolling a pestle in grinding
paint. The first, marked _a_, is found only on Plate XIX of the
Manuscript Troano, and the second, on Plates 5 and 6 of the Dresden
Codex.

A copy of part of Plate XIX of the Manuscript Troano is introduced here
(see Fig. 377) to show the relation of the figures to the characters. If
this interpretation be correct, we see here an evident attempt on the
part of the aboriginal artist to indicate by the symbol the action
necessary in the work to be performed. It is probably a conventional
sign, and not a phonetic character.

[Illustration: FIG. 377.]

[Illustration: No. 20]

(?) In all probability one of the symbols used to denote the act of
walking or taking steps. Found but seldom in this particular form,
though each portion occurs frequently alone or in other
combinations.

[Illustration: FIG. 378. Copy of lower division of Plate 65, Dresden
Codex.]

A remarkable series of figures and written characters runs through the
lower division of Plates 65 to 69 of the Dresden Codex, apparently
devoted entirely to the representation of incidents in the life of the
culture hero Kukulcan, or deity mentioned on a subsequent page as the
"long nosed god" or "god with the snake-like tongue," or to ceremonies to
be performed in honor of this deity. Over the figure are three lines of
written characters, as shown in Fig. 378, which is a copy of the lower
division of Plate 65. These, as is readily seen, are in groups, one group
of six compound characters over each figure of the god. There are
thirteen figures of the god and thirteen of these groups of characters in
the series. The characters of a group, as may be seen by reference to the
figure, are arranged in the following manner:

___________
| | |
| _a_ | _b_ |
|_____|_____|
| | |
| _c_