Africa offers good examples of the fluctuation and further sub-division of the seasons. The Wagogo of East Africa divide the year into the dry season, about May to October, and the rainy season, November to April. In the latter they further distinguish the little rainy season, _songola_, November and December, and the greater one, _itika_, about February and March[286]. In the neighbourhood of Mombasa the great rains begin in April and last approximately for a month, _mwaka_ or _masika_: _mchoo_ is a week in August, and _vuli_ a fortnight in November, with showers. Beyond the seasons the natives have little idea of the lapse of time[287]. The Wa-Sania of British East Africa have three periods of four months each, _gunu_, _adolaia_, and _huggaia_, but no explanation whatever of these names is given[288]. The Masai divide the rainy season into three periods, and also have four seasons of three months each:--(1) _ol dumeril_, the time of the lesser rains, preceding that of the great rains. The latter fall in (2) _en gokwa_, named after the Pleiades, which at that time _rise_ low on the _western_ horizon (_sic!_). Then follows (3) _ol airodjerod_, the season of the gentle after-rains, and then (4) _ol ameii_, the time of hunger and drought[289]. Hollis begins the list with the months of the showers, and calls the season of the great rains _l’apaitin le-’l-lengon_, ‘the months of plenty’, stating that the latter season, in which the setting of the Pleiades takes place in the evening, is called from these _loo-’n-gokwa_[290]. Among the Ewe tribes the year has three periods:--_adame_, March to June; _keleme_, July to October; _pepi_, November to February. In the first two much rain falls, so that work in the fields is greatly hindered. Inland the year begins in March with the yam-sowing, and ends in February. The three principal seasons include four months each. Inland _keleme_ also includes another period, _masa_, September and October, the second maize-sowing. Hence the name ‘masa-corn’. _Pepi_ is the harmattan time, in which fall yam-harvesting, grass-drying, and hunting[291]. The Yoruba divide the year into the dry season, the season of the harmattan wind, and the rainy season, the last-named being further divided into the time of the first rains and that of the last rains or ‘little rainy season’[292]. In Loango a dry and a rainy season of about 6 months each are distinguished. In many districts there is also a third season, _tschimuna_, the time of the ripening of favourite fruits etc., and the hot seasons are then often simply called _bimuna_[293].