To Richard Kippist1    November 1854

 

The Sciences are progressing here, in a manner that augurs well for the future. Two Societies have been established,2 in both of which I have the honor to sit on the Council, and the Philosophical Society called me to the honble task of writing the first paper for their Transactions.3 I shall take care, during the times of my stay here, that the Linnean Society receives regularly our Transactions, for which we have perhaps, the pleasure of receiving yours in exchange. 4

 
Letter not found. The MS, in R. Kippist's hand, is headed 'Extract of a letter from Dr Ferd. Müller to Mr Kippist; & dated "Botanic Gardens, Melbourne".' Beneath the quoted passage Kippist has written 'The L.S. has received the first no. of the Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria.'
Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science, inaugurated 15 June 1854; Philosophical Society of Victoria, President elected 15 July 1854, formally inaugurated 12 August 1854 (Finney (1993, pp. 80-83).
B54.13.05.

Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria, vol. 1, pp. 1-33, including B54.13.05, was issued between 18 September and 22 November 1854 (see Aston [1984]). M was not sure in early October where his account of new plants would be published (see M to J. Foster, 5 October 1854). The paper, which he read at the first general meeting of the Society on 12 August 1854, was 'laid before the Meeting' of the Society on 14 November 1854 (Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of Victoria,p. v), just before Aston's latest date for its publication. Thus this letter was almost certainly written between 5 October and 22 November; it is numbered to November as the last plausible date.

An agreement to exchange publications with the Linnean Society was reported at the meeting of the Philosophical Society on 10 July 1855 (Proceedings, p. xxv).

Please cite as “FVM-54-11-00,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells accessed on 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/54-11-00