GREENBACKS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2727, 20 June 1906, Page 53

GREENBACKS TO THE EDITOR.

SiE. — In your notes under heading "Land and "Water" of 23rd ult.. in a letter to Mr L F. Ayson, Mr A. H. Shury writes of "greenbacks." and state 1 - that it is ridiculous to assart tlw; a brown trout changes into <t "greenback." I don't thin.c po. In my opinion what he terms a "Rreenback" is but a frdah run brown trout. I have caught a good fe'.v in my time, and more especially at the "Waiau mouth, where the fish, just from th" sea, are without exception what would l>e termed by Mr Slimy greenbacks. In the Oreti towards the end of the season, wh<*a the f!.<=-h commence to s&eeud the riveis for spawning, I have caught them up to l-ilb with the fly. They are as different in appearancs to the brown tro-ut as a trumpeter is to a cod, but. nevertheless, it is only the difference between a fish that has been to sea and one that has not — a difference of feed and environment. Speaking of this to Mr Brass, cur curator, he says my theory ii the correct one. E\ery year when stripping trout for ova almost every fish handled is a "greenback." and the exceptions, in his opinion, have been just long enough in tho fresh water to lose some of the distinctions peculiar to a fresh run fi^h. I might also state that the Southland Society depend on their supply of ova solely from wild or river fish, and though only the so-called greenbacks are strinped. as yearlings it can be easi'y note.i that they are only the brown trout — in fact, tho thought of their being n. distinct variety hss never been hinted at. As stated before environment has changed the fish in contour, colour, and flesh. The.=e can easily be accounted for. In the river the trout has no natural -enemies to speak of ; hence it hid 1.0 great use for speed, grew fat, deep, able-bodied; in the sea. it wa9 the other way about, so Nature shaped it clipper-built to enab'e it to escape. Its colour is aiso provided by Nature as a protective agent. In the sea it as=umes> th^ light-green tint of the water; in dark water tho trout are always dark, m clear streams light like -the surroundings. The tint of the flesh is only a question of feed, as has bee.i proved at Hbwietown. one of the largest hatcheries "at Home. A lot of yearling" were divided and placed in two sepxiate pondsone fed solely on crnstacese (shrimDs. crayfi<=b. prawns, etc.). and the other on flic?, worm.", etc. At tho end' of six months the fle«h of the fish taken from the first pond had assumed a distinct pink tint, while it remained < linost vrbite in the second pondi

In the three streams adjacent to my property two have a plentiful supply of thrmius and crayfish, and the Sc=h of the trout caught therein are without exception pink, while the third stream, having no such food available, the fish are white when cooked. So much for the " sieenbacks." With rei

gard to the rainbow species, this society have been confining their attention to only one river for the last few years with no success. The question is, if going to sea makes such » striking difference in weight, colour, and condition in the brown trout, making it unrecognisable, will it not do the same to the rainbow trout ? — I am, etc.,

A. Tapper. Waitoru, Wallacetown, New Zealand, '2nd June, 190 G. [Mr Tapper's letter was inadvertently omitted from our last two issues. — Ed.]