To James Agnew   12 September 1874

Melbourne

12/9/74.

 

In answer to your kind letter,1 just only received, dear Dr Agnew, I would remark, that the slender treefern as well from near Port Esperance as from near Circular Head is Swartz's Cyathea affinis, which indeed is not specifically distinct from C. medullaris, contemporaneously described. I regret having overlooked the notices in the valuable publication of your Society both by the Hon Mr Scott and by Mr Stephens. I had the Cyathea from the northwest through the kindness of Mr Emmett.2

My Alsophila Leichhardtii is similar in slender stem and general habit to Cyathea medullaris; and it is not impossible, that this Alsophila may also occur in Tasmania. I have some additions again, but not yet enough for a new contribution; among them is the Scirpus acicularis L. from the South Esk, which has hitherto not yet been recorded from your island. I will endeavour to draw up a "census of Tasmanian plants," for your next publication, as such a conspectus is very useful for reference.3 I only trust, that my communications will not be too voluminous, as I feel myself already so deeply a debtor for conceding me so much space in your past volumes.

Can you kindly give me the adress of Mr DeGraves.4 I wish to pay him my respect and sympathy in his adversity, but have been unable to ascertain his abode.

Very regardfully yr

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Best thanks for sending me the new fascicle of notices, full of important and detailed information.

In looking over my museum-collections I find, that I have no specimens of the ferntree from your South; all mine are from Mr Gunn and Mr Emmett; hence probably all from near Circular Head. The Hon. Mrs Ducane has an extensive knowledge of ferns, and I believe this Lady has the ferntree from near Port Davey and Port Esperance in her conservatory and collection of dried ferns. Hence the identity of the southern and northern slender fern-tree could easily be proved or disproved.

 

Alsophila Australis

Alsophila Leichhardtii

Cyathea affinis

Cyathea medullaris

Scirpus acicularis

 
1
J. Agnew to M, 7 September 1874.
2
See S. Emmett to M, 25 May 1874.
3
B75.13.10.
4
M may have been inquiring after William Degraves, formerly (until May 1874) a member of Victoria's Legislative Council, who had, however, that July compounded with his creditors (i.e. had them agree to a settlement of less than 240 pence per £ owed) and had at some point after that gone to Tas, being reported as returning from Launceston to Melbourne on 31 January 1875. (He later returned permanently to Tas.) Alternatively, M have been referring to a brother, Charles Degraves, who ran the Cascade brewery in Hobart, who died in November 1874 and may have been seriously ill at the time M wrote.

Please cite as “FVM-74-09-12,” 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/74-09-12