Melbourne bot. & zool Garden
25. Aug. 1860.
My dear Prof. Asa Gray.
The parcel, which the obliging Commander of the "Lucknow" took care of reached me safely & I am under great obligation to you for so interesting & valuable addition to our herbarium, for which in due time I shall endeavour to reciprocate.
I observe that you did not open the parcels before dispatching them, hence a package of specimens of Ranunc. Purshii1, of Carices & of Gramineae & miscell. Cyperoideae intended for yourself came to Australia, from whence they shall be returned at the very first opportunity of sending them safely back. Perhaps I may keep them, until my next consignment arrives, which I will make up in the beginning of 1861 (si fata velint2), when I hope to have returned from two exploits3 I intend making for the sake of geographically & phytologically exploring 2 hitherto untrotten part of our territory. I am much obliged for your friendly information on the Sesleria dactyloides, and would be very glad for roots of it, which would well travel in a small glass case. Pray pardon my troubling you.
Your seeds arrived in most excellent condition! For the botanical printings I am highly grateful. In the hurry I picked up just at the mails departure a few Cuscuta-fragments for the worthy & learned & accurate Dr. Engelmann.
Can I serve your Academies in any way? The first vol. of my "plants of Victoria"4 quarto with illustrat. will be distributed by Government to the principle Academies & Libraries abroad. It finished the Thalamiflora on 180 pages.
Ever with deep regard
my very dear Sir,
your attached
Ferd Mueller
Carices
Cuscuta
Cyperoideae
Gramineae
Ranunculus purshii
Sesleria dactyloides
Thalamiflora
Ranunculus purshii.
If the fates are willing.
M intended to travel to Cape Howe in early September (see M to W. Nicholson, 5 September 1860 (in this edition as 60-09-05a)), and he was already planning to explore Mt Baw Baw in December 1860 (see M to R. Heales, 10 December 1860, and M to R. Heales, 10 January 1861).
B62.03.03.
Please cite as “FVM-60-08-25,” 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