29/1/66.
I feel greatly obliged for your Excellency's generous attention, in sending me an other very valuable consignment of the Areca seeds. Thus I am enabled to raise a large number of this hardy and elegant palm. This day I beg to forward to your Excellency a parcel with a number of seeds of such Australian plants, as are fitting constituents of copses, also a good many (enough to raise a thousand plants & more) of the rapidly growing Acacia dealbata (or A. mollissima). Should already abundance of this tree be introduced into your territory, they may be still acceptable for the Chatham's Islands, with a view of obtaining trees for shelter or for fuel. The parcel of seeds is entrusted to the Lady of Mr N. Chevalier, the distinguished landscape painter now itinerating in the Middle Island.1
This week I shall meet the hon. Dr Officer of Hobarton2 & will render known to that honorable Gentleman your Excellencys wish for receiving some Ceriopsis novae Hollandiae.3 Here the bird is very inaccessible, but in Tasmania it is rather frequent. I have made arrangements also in getting a number of Seran geese (Anseranas melanoleuca) captured. The bird however is excessively shy.
Cuttings of Olives would be extremely welcome, as these select varieties do not or but sparingly exist here. The Coccus Cacti4 is also not yet in Victoria, though I have the Opuntia Tuna & O coccinellifera.
All the salt bush seeds collected here this year has gone to the steppes of Algiers, but while the seed harvest is continued, a supply will by laid bye for your Excellency. The Kangaroo grass seed shall also not be forgotten. The most superb grass for pastoral purposes is the Bromus unioloides of Quito, quite hardy here and passing vernacularly as Californian Prairie Grass. If this is not yet in New Zealand I could send abundance of seeds.
In regard to my poor own works I would beg to mention, that they are property of the Victorian Government[s] & that it is therefore not necessary to obtain them by expenditure. If your Excellency would merely cause a letter to be written to Sir Charl. Darling, all the volumes still wanting in your Library will be most gladly sent by the Chief Secretarys department. The 5th vol. of the Fragmenta5 is almost ready & I had occasion, when reviewing a number of Australian Filices & Compositae to refer also to coordinal plants of New Zealand.
Ready at any time to be serviceable to your Excellency
I remain your
regardfully attached
Ferd Mueller
Acacia dealbata
Acacia mollissima
Areca
Bromus unioloides
Compositae
Filices
Opuntia coccinellifera
Opuntia Tuna
Now known as South Island. See Hector (1879) for examples of official use of the name.
Now Hobart, Tas.
Cape Barren Goose.
The former name of the scale insect Dactylopius coccus that feeds on Opuntia and from which cochineal is extracted.
Presumably B66.01.02, which contains extensive discussion of ferns.
Please cite as “FVM-66-01-29,” 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