To Joseph Decaisne¹    28 November 1878

28/11/78

You were so very kind, honored and dear Sir, to offer to complete my series of the botanic portion of the Annales des sciences naturelles, which important periodical I possess in all five series from the commencement, except the volumes, sequent to 1865; you and Mons Brogniart² were so good to send me the volumes of the série cinquième up to 1865. I do not intend to ask you for the whole series of the last 13 years, but only for those numbers, in which notices appear on New Caledonian plants. If however you wish to extend your generosity so far as to let me have the whole number of volumes, wanting in my Library, I shall of course be very grateful to you in deed, and I can perhaps send you in return dried plants for the Musée, as I shall soon distribute the spare specimens of Eucalypts and other important genera; i.e., if your Musée (and not your own pecuniary private resources) has the means of supplying the annales.

A second copy of my enlarged edition of Wittstein's organic-chemical constituens of plants goes to you by this mail.³ I can send you more copies, if needed for any of your scientific friends. My London Agents are Mess. C. Blackith & Coy, Cox's Quay, Lower Thames Street, who would forward the Annales to me.

As regards the introduction of Eucalyptus Globulus to the countries of the mediterranean Sea, Mons. Ramel saw them only in the botan. Garden of Melbourne and I sent seeds to the jardin des plantes before that time, if I remember rightly. I have helped M. Ramel for many years in the introduction and gave him unreserved information on anything concerning the culture and industrial value of the Eucalypts, and supplied him often with seeds of many species. Some little acknowledgement of my own exertions & expenses in this cause I thought also due to me.⁴

With regardful remembrance

Ferd. von Mueller.

Eucalyptus Globulus