Nat Mus Melbourne 9/2/69
My dear Baron Von Muller1
I have the pleasure to send you herewith twenty (20) specimens of primitive species of rare marsupials according to your wish as a very inadequate return for your valued donation of the young Australian cassowary to the National Museum at Melbourne
I remain &c &c
F McCoy2
List of Specimens Sent to Dr F Mueller in exchange for Cassowary.
1 Dasyurus Maculatus. Purchased from Castlemaine Skeleton made of specimen. Locty Tasmania
1 Belideus flaviventer.3 Purchased from Broadbent Queensland
1 Phascogale penicillata. From Mr Ellery August 31st 1866
1 Myrmecobius fasciatus. Purchased from F. Armstrong Western Australia
1 Peregalia Lagotis4 do do
1 Acrobates Pygmaeus. Heuelle's Western Port Coll 1861.5
Junction of Murray & Darling Coll.
2 Lagorchestes leporoides6 1438 2281 m.
2 Bettongia Grayi 2188 f
2 Perameles obesula7 1079 1241 m
2 Hapalotis Mitchelli8 1818 2002 f
2 Hapalotis --------- 1993 1374.
2 Hapalotis apecalis9 1214 f 1068 m
1 Bettongia penicillata 1967 f
1 Thick tailed Poda[v]ous10
M was not created a Baron until 1871, although his appointment as Order of the Crown of Württemberg (Orden der Württembergischen Krone), Knight’s cross, 1st class, 20 December 1867 (A. von Egloffstein to M, 20 December 1867) carried personal nobility with it, thus adding 'von' to his name.
M to F. McCoy, 10 February 1869, acknowledges the specimens.
Not in Australian Faunal Directory (accessed 19 December 2025), but used in Gould (1845-63), vol. 1.
Peragelea? Peragelea lagotis not listed in AFD (accessed 19 December 2025), but used in Gould (1845-63), vol. 1.
Heulle not identified.
Not in AFD (accessed 19 December 2025), but used in Gould (1845-63), vol. 1.
Not in AFD (accessed 19 December 2025), but used in Gould (1845-63), but as an 1804 synonym for Isoodon obesulus in Driessen & Rose (2015).
H. mitchelii? Not in AFD (accessed 19 December 2025), but used in Gould (1845-63), vol. 3. Despite McCoy's characterization of the what he was sending as specimens of 'rare marsupials', Hapalotis is a rodent.
H. apicalis?
Podabrus? See Gould (1845-63), vol. 1, plate 47, and the related descriptive text that describes 'PODABRUS CRASSICAUDATUS, Gould. Thick-tailed Podabrus‘.
McCoy's letter is written below a list in another hand; the list is given here below the transcription of the letter.
Please cite as “FVM-69-02-09,” 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