Bradley Street Brisbane
Sept 21st 1880
Dear Baron Mueller
I know you will be very busy now that the Exhibition1 is on but I must ask you to spare a minute to compare the enclosed. It was gathered by my friend the Rev B Scortichini2 on Stradbroke Island3 a short time since — A shrub I took it for a form of Hakea dactyloides Cov but have scarcely a Hakea in my herbarium and on a closer examination of the fruit it seems to differ from the genus Hakea let me know what you think soon. I wont trouble you any more than I can help during Exhibition time [In my herbm.] I have a promise of specimens from Mr Ed. K. Tidswells4 of Wigton5 of the Eu. Watsoniana in about a months time as yet they are in a bad state from the frosts. I should have liked to have gone up for them myself but it is useless to ask our Government for anything — You will find a regular mixed muddle of timbers from Mr Hill at the Exhibition — these exhibits are so mixed that you must place no dependence in the names they are worthless except for firewood6
Pardon my troubling you at this busy time and believe me one of your oldest and closest friends.
F. M. Bailey
I gave a notice of the 6th decade in the Queenslander7
I sent to the Exhibition 6 vol of Q-land plants containing over 1000 species besides naturalized plants one or two have not names attached Kindly get them noticed and obliged8
FMB
Eucalyptus Watsoniana
Hakea dactyloides
Melbourne International Exhibition, 1880-1. M was a Commissioner and a member of three committees: Intercolonial, Districts of Victoria and Vegetable products; his Report on the forest resources of Western Australia (B79.13.10) was exhibited by the Government of Western Australia (International Exhibition (1880-1881: Melbourne) (1880), passim).
i.e. Scortechini.
Qld.
i.e. Tidswell.
Wigton Homestead, Burnett, Qld.
International Exhibition (1880-1881: Melbourne) (1880),vol. 1, p. 94, lists under 'Class 43—Products of the cultivation of forests and the trades appertaining thereto', a 'collection of Queensland timbers, by Walter Hill, Colonial Botanist, and Director of Botanical Gardens, Brisbane'. See Hill (1880).
There is an unsigned notice of B80.13.14, decade 6, in Queenslander, 11 September 1880, Supplement, p. 2.
International Exhibition (1880-1881: Melbourne) (1880), vol. 1, p. 100, lists Bailey's exhibit in 'Class 76.—Flowers and ornamental plants'. Bailey's volumes were mentioned in a general description of the Queensland Court, Age, 8 December 1880, Supplement, p. 1.
MS found with a specimen of Strangea linearis (MEL 2177958).
Please cite as “FVM-80-09-21,” 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