212 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 
as 3 ft. At this height Mr. J. Darling found a nest built on the upper surface 
of a large-leaved tree growing on a range of hills east of Tavoy. 
More curious even than this is the finding of two nests of the Malayan 
Turtle-Dove on the ground by Mr. C. W. Allan. Writing from Henzada in 
Burma, he says: “ Yesterday, the 3rd March, I found two nests of the 
Common Dove (Turtur tigrinus) built on the ground. 
“The first I found in the morning whilst inspecting a timber cutting in 
the Kyangin forest reserve. It was on the ground, right out in the open, 
under a teak tree and was of the ordinary kind, just a few twigs collected 
on some fallen leaves. There was no attempt at concealing the nest. There 
were two eggs in this nest, freshly laid. 
“The second nest I found the same evening. It was placed at the foot 
of a catechu (Acacta catechu) tree not far from my camp. The bird flew off 
as I approached the tree. There were two eggs in this nest, also freshly laid. 
“In all my wanderings in Burma and India I have never before come 
across Doves nesting on the ground and cannot account for these, as there 
were lots of bushes and trees about to build on.” 
The eggs of this bird cannot be distinguished from those of the Indian 
Spotted Dove. 
The eggs recorded in Hume’s Nests and Hggs varied in breadth from 
-76 in. (= 19.3 mm.) to .88 in. ( = 22.3 mm.), and the series in the Museum 
average 1.18 by .86 in. (= 30 by 21.8 mm.) whilst the extremes in length 
are 1.05 and 1.25 in. ( = 26.6 and 31.7 mm.) and in breadth .8 and .9 in. 
( = 20.3 and 22.8 mm.). 
Macdonald’s eggs average a good deal smaller than this and he records 
the measurements as 1.05 by .88 in. ( = 26.6 by 22.3 mm.), but it will be 
noticed that his eggs are broader than those in the Museum series. 
The eggs in my collection all come within the limits given above. 
The Malayan Turtle-Dove differs but little in its habits from its 
Indian cousin. It is perhaps on the whole more of a jungle and forest- 
bird, and it certainly does not seem to ascend the hills to so great a 
height, not commonly being met with much above 4,000 ft. At thesame 
time it does not haunt jungles and forests unless these are broken up 
with open land, either cultivated or barren, for it is a bird which 
generally seeks its food on the ground and the greater part of this 
consists of grain and seeds which are obtained in the cultivated areas. 
Robinson’s remarks on this bird’s habits in the Malay States are 
worth quoting. He writes: “This bird is found in much the same 
situations as the Barred Ground Dove, but is less tied to cultivation 
than that species. It is widely distributed throughout the Peninsula, 
and is particularly abundant in the sandy wastes and casuarinas that 
fringe large portions of the East Coast. It is also very common in Negri 
Semlilan, especially in the Linggi district, but is rarer in Selangor and 
Perak. In habits it is less terrestrial than Geopelia striata and is much 
shyer. It is also more gregarious, and at certain times of the year 
