Melbourne bot Garden,1 1869.
Newyear's eve
A variety of circumstances, dear Dr Agnew, have prevented me from sending before this2 my promised notes on the plants seen by me on Mt Field East, when I enjoyed in the early part of the year a short journey through your island. I have had during the whole year so many exceptional calls on my time and latterly so many anxieties in addition,3 that I could not find the leisure & gain the mental tranquillity for special extra work of a scientific character. I have however at last collected the various data, such as they are, and submit them herewith4 to the indulgence of the R.S.,5 of which you are so worthily the executive functionary.
This second6 contribution augments the known plants of Tasmania, discussed since Dr Hooker published his volumes on your flora, by nearly half a hundred, and I feel confident that an other7 50 might be added, if the islands of Bass straits were carefully explored. Besides these further researches have very extensively altered the names of the Tasmanian plants and reduced them often to very different specific limits. Then also much additional knowledge on the distribution of the species and their structural character has been gained, as the material for examination gradually increased. If settlers in little explored localities would only form general collections, which occupation often might be made an instructive playwork of youths, we would always find something of interest among such plants, while the commoner plants serve always the purposes of interchanges with foreign institutions. A few specimens of plants accompany the manuscript, such as perhaps not exist in the Museum of the R.S., and are illustrating my notes. Should the Society deem my new contribution also worthy of publication, it might be well to send me the proof for correction.
I often wished, that I could carry phytographic exploration into the alpine recesses of Tasmania still further; but I see no prospect, at least in my present position, to visit your island ever again.
With my best gratulation to the new decennium your regardful
Ferd. von Mueller.
I have to thank the Society for sending me its last publication. The copy for Dr W. Sonder shall be early forwarded.
31 Dec deleted before 1869.
M spent one week in Tasmania in early January 1869.
In early November 1869, William Ferguson was appointed by the Government as curator of the Botanic Gardens and Inspector of State Forests. Although M retained the title of Director of the Botanic Garden and was held responsible by the Government for the running of the Garden, his authority was undermined and ignored by Ferguson, with the result that M retained little influence in the practical running of the Garden. See Cohn & Maroske (1996).
B71.13.05. M's manuscript version is held at RSA/A.17, F. Mueller, 'Contributions to the phytography of Tasmania II', New year's eve, 1869, Royal Society of Tasmania Archives, Hobart.
Royal Society (of Tasmania).
For the first contribution see B69.13.03.
half could deleted after other.
For reply see J. Agnew to M, 7 February 1870 (in this edition as 70-02-07a).
Please cite as “FVM-69-12-31c,” 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