Melbourne,
19 May 1880.
The graceful manner, dear Sir Redmond, in which you recognize my transfer of the imperial gift to your celebrated & rich Institution, is most cheering to me.1 But where could this splendid volume be better located than among the literary treasures, which under your principal direction have accumulated? I feel also gratified with the Confidence of the Trustees of the public Library, in desiring me to aid in selecting additional works on plants.2 I have not any supplemental Catalogues of the Library since a very long time, and if still a full series of indices is available, I should be glad to have them, as really I am not fully aware of the extent of botanic works now in the library.
As a small Addendum to any sendings of the trustees abroad, I beg to send 25 copies of my index of the plants of Linne's first edition of the species.3 It will prove useful in Libraries, where that rare book is not exstant. This index was issued on my private expense. I can also present still some copies of my enlarged English Edition of Wittstein's Chemistry of plants,4 should the trustees have use for them.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller
His Honor Sir Redmond Barry,5
The remainder of the address has been cut off by the binding.
MS annotation: '[…] letter of the 19th I beg leave to say that the Trustees gratefully accept your offer of copies of the works you name & thank you for this additional Instance of your generous disposition towards the Library. I beg of you to believe me
'The accompanying monograph. Is the latest published — a new & complete Catalogue down to 1880 is in the press. I am &c.' See R. Barry to M, 20 May 1880 (in this edition as 80-05-20b).
Please cite as “FVM-80-05-19b,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/80-05-19b