From Frederick McCoy   17 February 1862

University1

17/2/62

My dear Dr Müller

Deshayes subgenus of shells Capsella was established in 1854 in Proceedings Zoolog. Soc. London.2 If you are thinking of the double use for plants & animals I have long found the number doubly […]3 between the vegetable & animal Kingdom growing so happily large, that I feel convinced (and have acted accordingly for many years) that we must rest satisfied with the improbability of serious confusion, and accept the [risks]4 so far

As for our rival claim on the Meteorite I would suggest the good old test of single combat and walking on red hot plough shares to see with whom the right lies — unless indeed the British Museum would save it by sending me Abels one.

Ever my dear Dr Müller

very truly yours

Frederick M'Coy.5

1
i.e. University of Melbourne.
2
Deshayes (1854) p. 347.
3
Heyne's copy at the Museum of Victoria has 'employed', but this is not a plausible reading of the original writing.
4
Heyne's copy has 'names', but this is not a plausible reading of the original writing.
5
See also M to F. McCoy, 14 February 1862 and M to C. Darling, 28 November 1863. See also Lucas et al. (1994).

Please cite as “FVM-62-02-17,” 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 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/62-02-17