Between 1984 and 1987, we recorded the sleeping-site and lodge tree preferenees of night monkeys at the Beni Biologieal Station, Bolivia. We eharaeterized the strueture of sleeping-site compared lodge trees to nonlodge trees, and determined the frequency of their use. Aotus azarae used braneh and liana platforms on trees of the middle strata of the forest as sleeping sites, but the lodge trees provided sparse caver. Monkeys may manipulate either natural aecumulations of material or bird nests to serve as sleeping sites. The eharaeteristies of the sleeping site and of the Iodge trees may be related to proteetion against predators and to thermal advantages. The distribution of lodge trees appeared to be re/ated to aeeess to food. Aetivities around the sleeping site eould be re/ated to marking behavior.

During three years from 1982 to 1984 the rutting behaviour of fallow deer was studied at the Doñana Reserve (Southwestern Spain). Timing of rutting season is constant across years, starting suddenly at the beginning of October, remaining at a high level for the first two weeks, extending for one more week and then decreasing gradually through the autumn. Average harem size does not vary much across seasons (from 9.1 to 10.6 individuals) but during the 1982 period, when for the first time the spring rains reached normal level after a period of severe draught, the number of harems was at its lowest level, whereas female membership in those harems was the highest. The smaller number of bucks holding harems in 1982 showed higher values of individual reproductive success than during subsequent years. The peak of the rutting period coincides with maxima of groaning and of interactions both towards males and females, whereas grazing is at its lowest level. Marking activity starts with high values at the beginning (if the rutting season and decreases gradually. The more successful 'nales show an attachment to particular rutting areas.

. 1990. Population parameters of fallow deer at Doñana National Park (SW Spain). Acta theriol. 35: 277-288.In order to know the reproductive and social status of fallow deer Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) populations at Doñana National Park and analyze the influence of climatic factors and population density on the reproductive performance of females and males, periodic counts were conducted from September 1982 to September 1988. The size of the study population increased in the period 1982-1983 and remained relatively stable from 1983 to 1988 (mean = 267.79 + 11.26). The mean group size of the female groups was the largest (8.67+ 1.44); mixed groups showed a mean size of 8.09 (± 1.05), the mean group size of the male ones being the smallest (5.21 ±0.9). The results indicate that density as well as temperature during the last month of gestation have repercussions on the reproductive performance of the females. No sexual differences have been detected in juvenile mortality during the first year of life.

ABSTRACT. A group of Aotus azarae living in an island forest in the Beni region of Bolivia was observed for ten nights during the rainy season of 1985. The three members of the group, an adult male, an adult female, and the young of the year, spent 49.4 ~ of their time resting, 31.7 ~ feeding and 19.8 ~ locomoting.Activity started with low intensity vocalizations about 10-15 min after sunset, the animals returning to the sleeping site in the morning, 10 to 20 min before dawn. Feeding occurred mainly during the early hours of the night, and from 1:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. they spent most of their time at rest.The average distance travelled per night was 337.4 m, the monkeys locomoting mainly in the first half of the night. Of the whole of the island forest (0.33 ha), our monkeys used mainly an area of 0.18 ha.

Equatorial Guinea has a new network of protected areas, but only Monte Alen National Park has any effective protection. As a contribution to the knowledge of this area, a survey of primate populations was carried out during a 7‐month period in 1994. The results showed that there is a high primate diversity (15–16 distinct species) in Monte Alen. The three most commonly sighted monkey species were Cercopithecus nictitans (35.9–40.8 per cent of sightings), Cercopithecus cephus (28.9–43.5 per cent) and Cercopithecus pogonias (17.4–22.4 per cent). Mean distance covered to find any group of these guenons varied from 1.1km in open primary forest to 2.7km in dense primary forest. Gorilla nests were more abundant in secondary forest near villages (5.15 nests/km), while chimpanzee nests were mostly found in primary forest (5.35 nests/km). Hunting pressure appears to be low but shifting agriculture has a significant impact on the conservation of the area. The degree of threat varies between species. Alternatives for better management of the area, such as educational programmes and sustainable use of natural resources, are suggested.