1 AMERICAN FISHES. 
yield of Alaska waters will surely be speedily brought about by the alleged 
futility of all efforts to enforce the protective enactments. These beliefs, 
he says, are due to the hasty and superficial observations of random tourists, 
who rarely penetrate into the Salmon region farther than Sitka.” 
Mr. Kutchin, however, thinks “that all existing lawless practices could 
never materially affect the Alaskan Salmon fisheries. It is not to be under- 
stood that they may not be endangered by the stupendous drain upon them 
by processes which are entirely lawful,” but even on this point he is “some- 
times almost shaken in a strong affirmative opinion.” 
One fact is certain, and that is that none of the Pacific coast Salmons 
returns to the sea after spawning. With that act, their lives are practically 
ended. No loss to the future is therefore incident to the capture of all that 
ascend the rivers. But for the future maintenance of the fisheries, it is 
absolutely necessary that an ample supply of fecundated eggs or fry should 
be planted in proper places. Under the care of man only a small propor- 
tion of the fishes caught would be necessary to keep up the supply, provided 
that all due precautions as to attention to the fry and their needs were 
observed. Nature is very extravagant in some respects and the loss to the 
progeny of every fish is greatest in the earliest stages; the chief use of 
pisciculture is the comparative safety which the intervention of man insures 
at those early stages. That intervention, properly administered, would 
suffice to procure from a few thousands the effects of many millions of 
fishes left to unaided Nature. Such assistance, however, is absolutely 
essential, and, unless it is given, the fisheries of Alaska will be reduced to 
the conditions that those of Washington, Oregon, and California have been. 
Numerous Catostomids and Cyprinids have been added to this fauna 
since the first edition of Goode’s work was published, but only such as occa- 
sionally, at least, reach the length of a foot have been enumerated in the 
following list. 
FAMILY OF ACIPENSERIDS OR STURGEONS. : 
Acipenser transmontanus: White Sturgeon. 
Acipenser medirostris: Green Sturgeon. 
FAMILY OF CATOSTOMIDS OR SUCKERS. 
Pantosteus generosus: Mountain Sucker. (Pantosteus platyrhynchus, p. 435.) 
Pantosteus delphinus: Blue-headed Sucker. 
Pantosteus jordani: Mountain Sucker; Clear-water Sucker of Black Hills 
and northwestward. 
Catostomus latipinnis: Flannel-mouth Sucker. 
