To William Hooker   11 July 1859

Melbourne bot & zool.

Garden, 11 July 59

My dear Sir William,

In my letter by last mail1 I explained fully to you my views on the publication of the Austral Flora under aid of the Government of Victoria. I believe, that by the popularity which my labours here enjoyed, I may be able to influence the leading members of our council, most of which are intimate with me, to grant £1000 for several years in aid of of an united work of Mr Bentham & the humble writer of these lines. I would send monthly the msc. as I went on & Mr Bentham would perhaps work those species out which my herbarium not possesses. Altho' I am but a tiro compared to Mr Bentham, being 30 years younger than that illustrious man, — I still believe without any vanity that my magnificent material teaches me best how to adjust the limits of Austr. species both in characters and migration.

You receive now the 6. No. of my Fragmenta2 It will depend on Dr Hooker, whether the first volume will contain much more as I am about to close it at the end of the year. Had I been in possession of Dr Hookers list of Austral-Indian plants, I could then settle the dubious species of North Australia & add 2 No. to my Fragmenta.

By the Dovre3 castle I forward this week plates of the Thalamiflorae & letter press of beginning of my Victoria Flora4, some copies of Fragmenta, specimens for you & Algae for Harvey.

Trusting to enjoy good news from you & the hear of your welfare

I remain, dear Sir William,

yours, Ferd Mueller

 

A Gentleman-Squatter, Mr Mitchell going home by this mail has kindfully taken charge of a parcel for you containing the new volume of our phil. Transactions and some copies of No VI Fragmenta

Pr Dover-Castle next week positively a box with algae & specimens will be sent also the lithographs of my work as far as ready, but the bill of Loading is not yet ready at mail departure.

What I sent as Woolsia is probably a Viscum (V. ? Woolsianum)5

There are two specimens of Sarcophycus potatorum in the box pr Dover castle which you might like perhaps for the bot museum

 

Sarcophycus potatorum

Thalamiflorae

Viscum Woolsianum

Woolsia

1
M to W. Hooker, 15 June 1859.
2
B59.06.01.
3
Dover.
4
B62.03.03. Proof sheets were apparently sent to Kew. Joseph Hooker commented on the receipt of sheets in J. Hooker to M, 26 December 1859.
5
See M to W. Hooker, 15 April 1859for another reference to this plant. Viscum woollsianum not in APNI.

Please cite as “FVM-59-07-11,” 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 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/59-07-11