From Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker   15 Aug 1859

Melb. bot. & zool Garden

15 Aug 59

My very dear Sir William

I beg to enclose copy of bill of loading of a case of specimens forwarded per Dovre Castle.¹ Your cacti arrived well & I am extremly obliged for these plants, which on a public establishment like ours attract much attention. The remainder of the plants in the box perished.

I send a few algae for our kind friend Harvey, & new plates of my flora & one sheet letter press² The latter is ready to pag 24 but got not in order by the mail. Perhaps you will regard my generic & specific reductions too great, but I have given them after the most careful consideration & never with a view of upsetting anything that could be possibly upheld in my opinion.

It being my intention to close the first vol of Fragmenta, which will also contain some illustrations by the end of this year, every volume to comprise two years work, I would much solicit from Dr Hooker, to furnish me by the first mail with his 500 identifications of Indian & Austr plants.³ If this very important aid was rendered to me, I could once more work over my other N. Austr plants & publish them & thereby a great service would be rendered to the flora of Australia contemp[e]lated by Mr Bentham. I have no doubt the £1000— annually will be granted if a combined work of Mr Benthams and mine could be arranged — about which I spoke to some extent in my two last letters⁴

Receive my dear & venerable Sir William for all generosity & friendship always shown to me ever more best thanks & the most ardent wishes for you.

Ever yours

Ferd Mueller