inserted a tube in the cavity left after the removal of the heart, and extracted a bowlful of blood, which he gave to the victim’s master. The latter with this made the round of certain temples, smearing a little of the blood on the lips of the various images. [Illustration: _PLATE VII_ MEXICO (Scale, 1, ⅙th: 2, ¹⁄₃₀th) _British Museum_ 1 1. STONE QUAUHXICALLI (VASE IN WHICH THE HEARTS OF VICTIMS WERE DEPOSITED)] [Illustration: _Photo. C. B. Waite_ _Mexico Museum_ 2 2. STONE QUAUHXICALLI IN THE FORM OF AN OCELOT] The third month, Tozoztontli, began on March 14th, and is signified in MSS. by the figure of a maize-goddess. It was a month of first-fruits; children were sacrificed to Tlaloc, and the first flowers were offered in Xipe’s temple, after which ceremony, but not before, their perfume might be inhaled by mortals. The flower-sellers also held a festival in honour of Coatlicue, and those who had provided victims for the sacrifices during the preceding month, discarded the skins which they had worn until now. The fourth month, Uei tozoztli, beginning on April 3rd, is also represented by the figure of a maize-god, and the presiding deities were Cinteotl and Chicome Coatl. The ceremonies observed concerned the maize-plant, which was used to decorate the altars and temples, while the selected heads destined to be used as seed were offered by young maidens to the above divinities. A peculiar offering was made to the household images of the harvest-god, consisting of baskets of produce, each surmounted by a cooked frog which bore on its back, in a miniature basket, specimens of each of the varieties of grain which composed the offering. The fifth month, Toxcatl, beginning on April 23rd, was symbolized by a figure of Tezcatlipoca, and was the occasion of the feast which has so often been described; at which a young man, identified with the god, was sacrificed to him after a year spent in the enjoyment of every luxury that Mexican civilization could afford. The identification of the victim with the god was a frequent feature of Mexican sacrificial ceremonies, and may have been based on the idea, found in many other parts of the world, that, just as the earthly representative of the deity was never allowed to attain old age, so the youthful vigour of the divinity remained unimpaired throughout the years. It may be remarked in this connection that one of the chief characteristics of Tezcatlipoca was perennial youth. A similar, though less important, ceremony was held in honour of Uitzilopochtli in this month.