To William Hemsley   3 October 1881

3/10/81

 

Allow me to ask you, dear Mr Hemsley, whether in the progress of your researches on the plants of Mexico for Godman's & Salvin's Biologia Centrali-Americana1 you could favor me with notes on the species of Pines, Oaks & other trees, which yield the timber largely in local use in Mexico, also with short information on the source of the best tan-bark of Mexico. I wish very much to have this information for the soon intended new edition of my work on “select plants for industrial culture”.2 Doubtless you have several scientific correspondents in Central America, which could give us an insight into these important technologic matters from a scientific point of view. Their and your help will be fully acknowledged in my work.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Is it really Quercus magnolifolia3 on which the native Silkworm of Mexico spins its cocoons?4

 

Quercus magnolifolia

 
1
Hemsley (1879-88).
2
B84.13.22 includes references to several additional Mexican oaks.
3
Q. magnoliifolia? M used Q. magnolifolia in editions of his “Select plants…”.
4

Is it really ... cocoons is written on a separate folio (f. 8) of the MS.

In B84.13.22 and later editions Quercus magnolifolia is given as the tree on which these silk worms feed, but the information is attributed to Née (presumably referring to Née[1801], p. 269.

.

Please cite as “FVM-81-10-03a,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/81-10-03a