To Joseph Maiden¹    7 July 1884

Melbourne,

7/7/84.

J. H. Maiden Esqr,

Secretary to the technologic Museum,

Sydney.

In accordance with the resolution of the trustees of your institution, to secure the duplicate-collection of the wood-books available here, I beg now to forward this collection, comprising 42 species, 35 of which represent N. S. Wales timber.²

As these samples were prepared for Victoria, they bear in many instances the notation of this colony; but should you prefer, to have them labelled N.S.W., any book-binder there could readily make the alteration.

As stated in my former letter³ 6/ each is the cash-expense for shaping the wood in bookform, getting it polished and labelled; so the wood itself is a donation from my Department. You will observe, that the portion, corresponding to leaves in books, has been left unpolished, by which means the grain of the timber can be studied as of simply planed samples.

Perhaps you may deem it expedient, to follow up the forming of such a collection (as I do here) when opportunities in future arise, the idea being, to have quite a library prepared of such imitation-books from wood samples of all parts of the globe.

I remain, dear Mr Maiden, with best regards your

Ferd. von Mueller.