TO THE EDITOR.

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

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir — In your issue of 13th inst. I see you state that the fish, taken at the Hakataianira Hatchery has reached Wellington," and that Sir James Hector has expressed an opinion that it was a trua Quinat salmon, but ho intends to make a thorough examination, of ihe fish before making a definite pronouncement. It is most important that we should trow what the fish is, aa before we can import ova it is necessary we- should know the actual species to which the fish belongs For many years in the Rakaia, Ashburton, and Kangitata we have been taking a fisn ■which at first wa called a, Calif ornian salmpa and S-almo quinat;. but of late years it has been locally calied a greenback, and I have very little doubt the fish sent to Wellington ia the same, as it has been in our rivers for at least 15 or 16 years. During the last eight years, since we have been turning out rainbow trout, fhe number of greenbacks taken has largely increased, and both Mr Ayson and Captain Hutton have stated "some American authorities" hold the rainbow trout and steel head, or sock-eyed l trout or salmon. aro the same, the latter being only sea Tun rainbow trout. If the greenback can. be proved to be the- Saimo quinat a very important point is gained. Tnaf the greenback of the Canterbury rivers is the seme fish as that just sent to Wellington is very probable, and I hope the specimen I shall take to the conference in Wellington will help to settle tho question ; but the identity of the fish ia not so easily settled as some people imagine. In 1895 the Oamaru Acclimatisation Society acnt Home six trout by the Matatua, consigned to the Field newspaper, accompanied by a letter from Mr Hubert S. Mitchell, of the Oamaru Mail. The fish left on April 16, and arrived on June 17, but did not reach the Field until July 6, and in order to obtain the highest opinion possible, the consignment was forwarded *o Dr G wither and Mr Boulenger, at the Natural History Museum, wheie they remain preserved in spirits for future- reference. Of the six fish forwarded five were undoubtedly Saimo fariq, but the ether spetum«n was exceedingly irffcerestmg. It was labelled. "Caught m the Waiteki Riv^r by Mr Dennison, and presented to the Acclimatisation Society by the* Hon. John M'Lean, of Redes stle — one female trout, length 29in, girth 15in, weight 9Jlb. With the compliments of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Sdciety, Oamaru." It obvioualy differed widely from- the others. _ The form of the operculum, the large nnmoer of scales along the lateral line (128 in number), the number of scales from th-e adipose fin to the lateral line, and the general shape indicated a different species] The specimen was a female with well-developed ova. It was not the English Saimo salar, but undoubtedly an. American species, but which one has not yet been decided. As ova of at least one of the Pacific salmon have been hatched out at the Antipodes, this ash is no doubt a- C&lifornian, and we regard it aa a most important and interesting fact in connection with the oft-disputed point, salmon or no salmon?

From the above it may be imaginad that it is not all beer and skittles to decide what sort of fisn it is, but the greenback answer* this description pretty well. If experts can decide what fish the greenback i 3 it would be as well to import ova of the species from America if we cannot obtain ova here. That the greenback must spawn in our rivers is certain., and tbough in the fishing season I have never known one taken more than a, mile from Ihe lagoon, yet thej ma) run up aevral miles to spawn and return to sea benro tho fishing season starts. Ttej are seldom taken before the middle or end ■> f Noverr bar Although the greenback has been taken by all anglers m the lagoons of the Car.terbuiy rivers, until this season they have never been specially noted, and it was only my getting four of tbem the same week ana havirg them alongside of the other trout (fario) to be shipped for the Exhibition that brought them prominently into notice, when, in tho words of Dr Gunther's report, the number of scales, the difference of the shape of the opercujum, and the general shape of the fiah made it quite distinct from the brown trout, and Dr Moorhouse was certain it •m.-s not a salmon ; and, therefore, I want to know what fish the greenback is. We have it in our rivers, and it has come to stay. It is the best fish we have, both for sport and for the tablo (the flesh is a- crimson red. as doep a co'our as any tinned salmon), and it is increasing naturally. We want to improve on the natural mcreane, however, but before we can do so we must know the proper name of the fish. Another question I should like £ ome authority to answer is. Is the Saimo quinat a true salmon, or a sea trout ? — like the steel-head trout, wrong!\ called the steei-head salmon by American fishermen of tho Pacific Coast — I am, etc..

A H. Shcry, Hon. -c AA S

Ashburton. June 11