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 unlike 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 
Wellesly 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 counting 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 as most of its kind. 
They build and lay freely enough in captivity and are hardy little 
birds, thriving in almost any climate, feeding on any grain or seed, or 
quite content with bread and milk, swttoo, or other substitute for their 
proper diet. 
