15/6/79.
Your kind letter, dear Dr. Agnew, remained for some or many days unanswered, as I was surrounded by pressing duties for some time past.1 Excuse under the circumstances the delay of my acknowledgment. The fossils, transmitted by Mr Wintle,2 are very interesting & particularly so the leguminous fragments representing two species. It will take some time to search (up to date) through the palaeontologic literature to determine the affinity of these plants, and it would be well if the zealous observer and clever generalizer, who found these vegetable remnants, could procure more specimens, so that a full diagnosis of the respective species could be elaborated. As there seems to be no urgency about settling the specific position of these vegetable relics, I will wait to learn, whether a[ddi]tional3 specimens are procurable
About the fossil shell I will obtain Professor MCoys most valuable opinion. The whole will of course be returned to your Museum.
Let me remain, dear Dr Agnew, with regardful remembrance your
Ferd. von Mueller.
I do not like to sacrifice the very few fragments by dissection
Please cite as “FVM-79-06-15,” 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