562 



Mr. G. L. Bates on the Breeding- Seasons 



residence there, would lead me to say that the times of the 

 seasons correspond rather to those of Ebolwoa than to those 

 of Kribi — the changes being later than at the coast, and 

 the dry season of July and August being longer. For the 

 seasons at Bitye, where the greater part of my record of the 

 breeding-seasons was made^ one cannot go far wrong in 



Text-fig. 6. — Diagram of Kainfall in Kamerun, based 

 on the Records of the German Officials. 



"Rainfall at Dual a (average of 15 years). 



,, Kribi (average of 3 j'ears). 

 _— „ Ebolwoa (average of 2 years). 



following the curve of Ebolwoa. At Bitye the later rainy 

 season culminating in October is much the more pronounced 

 and the driest month is February, the dry season often 

 extending well into March. 



The rainfall decreases as one leaves the coast. The total 

 for the year at Kribi is 3" 14 metres, at Ebolwoa 1*1 metres, 

 and at Bitye it must be still less. 



Summaries of Observations on Breeding, 

 for different Groups. 

 The Doves. — Of Vinogo calva alone had I a sufficient 

 number of recorded observations to warrant any conclusions ; 

 but of it, birds with large sex-organs, or birds sitting on 

 the nest, are recorded for all the four seasons, the two dry 

 and the two rainy ones. Moreover, not only are some 



