The terminology for the parts of the day is especially rich in Africa, a fact which is connected with the refinement of the observation of the sun’s position resulting from the custom of indicating this by a gesture in the direction of the heavens. Such simple indications as those of the Babwende for noon, ‘the-sun-over-the-crown-of-the-head’, and for midnight, ‘the-silence-of-the-land’[82], are rare. A number of elaborate time-indications are as a rule employed. The Wadschagga say at six o’clock in the morning ‘the sun rises’, at twelve o’clock ‘the sun rests on his cushion’ (like a tired porter), from twelve to one ‘the sun goes straight on’, about two it ‘bows’, about six it ‘falls down’, or ‘spreads its arms out’, like a man in the act of falling[83]. The terms used by the Bangala are:--about 2 a. m., the lying fowl; 3, the lying bird; 4, the first fowl; 4-5, the sun is near; 5, not translated; 5.=30=-6, the dawn; 6, the sun is come; 6.=15=-7, _ntete_; 12 noon, 2-3, 3-4, not translated; 6, the fowls go in, or the sun enters, or the sun darkens; 6.=30=, twilight finishes; 11-12, one set of the ribs or one side of a person, meaning that a person turns from lying on one side over on to the other; 12 midnight, second division or second half[84]. In Bornu the expressions for the time of day are formed by the aid of the word _dinia_ = ‘world’, ‘universe’, ‘sky’. From about 4 to 5 ‘the world cuts the aurora’; at 6 ‘the world is light’; at 12 ‘the sun is in the centre of the world’. Afterwards follow ‘it is evening’, twilight, night, midnight. Since the people are Mohammedans they also have expressions for the hours of prayer[85]. The expressions used by the Shilluk of the White Nile are translated[86]:--“The first morning, twilight becomes visible, morning dawn, morning, the earth is morning (it is morning)--the difference here is not evident--noon, the sun is in the zenith, the sun begins to sink (afternoon), it is afternoon, the sun is setting, the sun has set, it is night, at night, midnight.” The Yoruba divide the day into early morning, morning or forenoon, noon (when the day is ‘perpendicular’), shadow-lengthening or afternoon, evening or twilight[87]. The Masai distinguish the following parts of the day:--at 4 a. m. it is ‘not-yet-early’; at 5 it is ‘early’; somewhat later come dawn, twilight (about 5.=30=, ‘the-sun-is-still-far-off’), and sunrise (‘the-sun-shews-himself-a-little’ or ‘rises’). From 8 to 10 it is ‘still-early’, towards 11 they say ‘the-sun-is-not-yet-perpendicular-overhead’, at 12 ‘the-sun-is-perpendicular-overhead’. The afternoon is usually expressed by ‘the-shadow-is-turned-round’. This phrase is often used for the period from 3 to 5 p. m. In particular, 12-2 = ‘the-sun-is-broken’, 2-4 = ‘afternoon-now’, 4-6 is evening, 5 = ‘the-sun-goes-down’, sunset glow = ‘the-twilight-follows-the-sun’. With the coming of darkness begins the _tapa_, which lasts until 8 o’clock, when the people usually go to rest[88]. Another authority