BARRED GROUND-DOVE 255 



Although this is such a very common little Dove, notes on its 

 habits are very meagre. Davison says : " The general habits of this 

 little Dove are the same as those of tigrina, except that it never occurs 

 in flocks, being always found singly or in pairs. It keeps about cultiva- 

 tion and feeds on the ground, walking about here and there and picking 

 up seeds. Its note is quite unUke that of any of the other Doves that 

 I am acquainted with, and sounds like ' kok-akurr-kurr,' soft, but 

 repeated several times. It is very common about cultivation in the 

 WeUesly province." 



Robinson, in the Journal of the Federated Malay States Museums, 

 notes : " The Barred Ground Dove is generally distributed throughout 

 the Peninsula, but is never found in high forest and but rarely in 

 Bluker (?). It is perhaps commoner in the East than in the West, and 

 in the coastal districts rather than the more inland ones. It is usually 

 very common in coffee cultivation, where it is found singly or in pairs, 

 searching the ground for seeds, etc. It is a very favourite cage bird 

 amongst the Malays, and high prices are paid for ' lucky birds,' lucky 

 or the reverse being diagnosed by coimting the number of scales on 

 the toes." 



It is regularly imported also into India as a cage-bird, where it 

 is equally popular. I have often seen it in large cages with numerous 

 other kinds of birds, and it appeared to live with them in perfect amity, 

 so that it cannot be as quarrelsome a Dove aa most of its kind. 



They build and lay freely enough in captivity and are hardy little 

 birds, thriving in almost any climate, ie'^ding on any grain or seed, or 

 quite content with bread and milk, suttoo, or other substitute for their 

 proper diet. 



