10/2/69
It is really very kind of you, dear Professor M'Coy, to send me so generously such a fine selection of Marsupials.1 With the Myrmecobius I was gratified above all. I saw this neat little creature on Lake Torrens (300 miles north of Adelaide) in 1851, but never secured a specimen. I will do all in my power to get for your fine collections an adult Casuarius and an egg also, but it may be a long time to succeed, as the few animals, which may still exist in this very circumscribed area, are rendered so shy by the natives. On Sunday I had a visit from an English young Medical Man, Mr Bateman, who was introduced to me by a letter from Prof Owen. Mr Bateman is interested in zoology and especially wishes to benefit the Oxford-Museum, under Prof Rolleston. I wished to give him an introductory line to you, but he said he had the means of waiting on you. In all likelyhood he will submit to you also a desiderata list. Dasyurus maculatus I noticed at Wilson's promontory in 1853.
With grateful regards
Ferd. von Mueller
Please cite as “FVM-69-02-10,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/69-02-10