VOL. II. ] Water Birds of California. 135 
These composition drinks are sold at double the price of the 
fresh tuba, but though much used and highly intoxicating delirium 
tremens is of rare occurrence. 
The venders of tuba or ‘‘ Tuberos’’ as they are called, are found 
in the markets and in certain other places about the streets of Colima 
drawing thirsty crowds who seem to have preference for the tuba 
offered for sale by this or that person. The cry of the tuberoas he 
- goes about the streets is a familiar one often eagerly responded to. 
He is an object of curiosity to strangers, wearing a yoke upon his 
shoulders with a rope depending from each end sustaining by 
hooks, large gourds filled with tuba. Immediately below the rim of 
these gourds pieces of reed are inserted. These serve as spouts for 
pouring the tuba and also to carry the small vessels made of 
halves of gourds of different sizes, in which the tuba is retailed. 
These small vessels are pierced and a string passed through, by 
which they are suspended from the spout when not in use. There 
is also carried hanging from the spout a strainer which looks like a 
large wooden spoon full of holes, this is to remove any foreign 
substance which may appear on the surface of the tuba as the 
vender wanders to and fro offering to his customers the smallest 
gourd full of the drink for a cent and the largest one for two cents. 
A CHECK -LIST OF THE WATER BIRDS OF 
CALIFORNIA. 
BY WALTER E. BRYANT. 
While engaged upon some writing pertaining to the birds of Cal- 
ifornia, I have found it convenient to havea list of the known species 
readily accessible, and have found Mr. Belding’s ‘‘ Land Birds of 
the Pacific District’? so necessary that I was obliged to prepare a 
list of the water birds to supplement it. In this connection I have 
consulted all available records, and have received information re- 
garding several species from Mr. Belding and Dr. J, G. Cooper. I 
have also compared it with a list compiled by Mr. Palmer two years 
ago. The publication of the “ Water Birds of the Pacific District" 
having been deferred for lack of fuller information regarding the 
distribution of species and the times of their arrival and departure, 
it is hoped that those having the opportunity will give closer atten- 
tion to the water birds, and make known their observations. I 
