Neilborough1
December 8th 1880
Dear Sir
I have had to defer sending the eggs until I could procure some small boxes in which to pack them securely.
I now enclose nine examples viz — Ephthianura tricolor, Acanthiza pyrrhopygia, Pardalotus xanthopyge, Hylacola cauta, Sittelea chrysoptera, Artamus personatus, Samprococcyx basalis, Malurus lamberti, Malurus longicaudus.
Perhaps the four first-named will hardly be found outside of the National Museum to which I sent examples several years ago.
I regard the egg of the Ephthianura as the most valuable of them all because, although the nests of the Acanthiza and Hylacola are very difficult to find, (in fact I have only found one of the latter containing eggs) both of them are permanent habitants of the Scrub; whereas the Ephthianura is only a rare visitor.
I have the honor to be
Dear Sir
Yours very faithfully and respectfully
R H Nancarrow
Baron von Mueller KCMG &c &c
Please cite as “FVM-80-12-08,” 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