THE BARRED GROUND-DOVE 
with below. It is more of a garden bird in Singapore than 
anything else, 
Field Notes: — Although this bird should be readily 
recognised by Mr. Levett- Yeats' platf, and indeed cannot 
very well be confused with any other species found in 
Singapore, we will follow our usual custom and give hints 
for its identification in the field. 
The most usual circumstance under which this bird is seen 
is when it is walkings about paths and mral roads or even in 
the town gardens. It walks (not hops) somewhat slowly and 
sedately like mo.st pigeons and at twenty yards looks to be 
about the size of a biUbul or slightly smaller than the Straits 
robin, The feet strike one as being very short and the tail 
long^. On most occasions it is easily disturbed and does not 
allow a very close approach. It then springs up in the air and 
makes away with a very swift f^ig-ht. Just as it takes flif^ht 
the tail is opened and the white tips to the tail feathers are very 
conspicuous. 
Other Jtahits: — The call is very characteristic and 
Davison's rendering **kok-a-kiirr kurr — ^soflly repeated several 
times" is a good description upon which we find it difficult to 
improve. The food consists largely of grass seeds. Beyond 
emphasizing the facts that it is more terrestrial in habits than 
many pigeons and is normally found alone or in pairs and 
rarely in flocks we have little more to say about its habits. 
The nest does not appear to have been found in Singapore 
although there is little doubt that the merbok breeds on the 
island- 
Mr, Stuart Baker says '*Thc nest is said to be a tiny 
platform of thin twigs and bents, only about four inches in 
diameter, an<i most flimsy in character, placed on low scrubby 
bushes**. The eggs as is usual with the pigeons arc two in 
number and white. 
Large numbers of these doves are imported into Singapore 
and in the bird-shops in Rochore Road hundreds may be seen 
huddled together in small dirty cages, The trade in these 
birds is carried on throughout most of the islands of the 
I 5/] 
