To William Hooker   14 June 1860

Melb. bot & zool Garden,

14 June 60

My dear Sir William.

I have to express my most grateful acknowledgements for your kindness of sending me the new fascicle of your species filicum.¹ It appears perfectly marvellous to me, how you render it possible to add volume after volume to the long series of works, by which you have for the last half century advanced science. The grace of providence has to many a learned man granted a long life to enjoy the toilsome earned laurels. But where is a phytologist who like you continued vigorously wandering [on] difficult path of research as you have done?

I have not much of importance to bring under your notice. The duties on this establishment are most labourious, & leave me only the Sunday for scientific work. Last month for instance about 30,000 plants passed through my own hands for distribution to gardens of public institutions & now 24 Dromedaries arrive at the Zoologic garden, with which we intend to conquer the desert.² The Salmon introduction failed, but we learnt that the ova can beyond any doubt be brought to the Southern hemisphere in employing melting ice instead of water for irrigation, an experiment just carried out half successfully & of which I trust not only Australia, but also other countries of the S. hemisphere will avail themselfes.³

I beg to send you N. 12 Fragmenta,⁴ also an other sheet of my "plants of Victoria"⁵ & I will try to forward also the new vol of the phil transactions by this mail.⁶ Per "Maidstone" I forwarded a quantity of dried plants to you & will soon send more. I trust that they will arrive safe, & will at least be of use for interchange, as the species new amongst them are very limited.

With my most sincere regards,

I remain,

my dear & venerable Sir,

your ever gratefully

attached

Ferd. Mueller.

There are according to Dr Becklers observations no alpine plants in the ranges of E Australia on the sources of the Clarence M'leay & Hastings River.⁷