From John Price¹    19 July 1886

Gerangamete²

July 19th 1886

Baron F. von Meuller.

Dear Sir

I received your letter on monday evening last and as I was going in to Colac³ the next morning there was no time for me to collect any specimens of ferns or mosses for you this time

The few fern leaves that I sent was some of the most common varieties which happened to be at hand at the time, with but one or two exceptions

I merely sent these in order that you might examine them and see if there were any kinds among them which you have not got at present

There are many other varieties of both ferns and lichens here which were not represented among those fern leaves sent, they are to be found back in the forest

I will endeavour to collect a number of varieties to send to you at some future date.

I have never seen or heard of any mosses bearing Fruit in this forest but I shall make enquiries about them there may be varieties which I have not yet seen, growing about the Apollo Bay district⁴

If there are any of those sent which you would like to get let me know they can be all grown with care some require shade and plenty of water, that moss fern is rather difficult to shift but by removing a sod of earth with it it can be got to grow it throws fresh shoots from the roots, the same as the Bracken Fern

I had given up all hope of hearing from you and had given some of the Grubs away thinking you did not require them[.]⁵ I had only the five full specimens left those broken ones I have had for a number of years they may do for you to dissect and examine them you will find one of them which have not undergone any change I do not think these grubs undergo any metamorphoses and that the fungoid growth spring from a natural condition in the dead grub, and is not the larva of a large moth as mr. G. F. Link of Flinders School recently stated a specimen having been forwarded to him from the Geelong Advertiser office and whose account was of it was published in that Journal the account there given was an entirely erroneous one he states that when the Caterpillar is about to assume the chrysalis stage it burrows into the ground for the purpose While in the act of piercing the earth some of the fungus spores enter the skin at the nape of the neck

The caterpillar works its way below ground to the depth of two or three inches and there awaits its metamorphosis, which in due time would take place were it not for the action of the fungus

The spores rapidly germinate and grow at the expense of the fat that lies beneath the skin of the grub. The caterpillar is soon killed and its body converted into a hard and horny substance. The fungus then shoots out one or more stems from the neck of the dead larva, and these, seeking light, emerge from the surface of the earth and develop their spores. when these spores mature they are dispersed in miriads and, falling to the earth, remain dormant till the following season affords an opportunity to some of them to germinate in their turn in the body of a caterpillar of the succeeding generation.

was there ever such an absurd proposition set forth as the foregoing. mr Link is altogether wrong in his idea as I have found the Grub in the ground both large and small and I believe they live for years Though many of them die young they seem to grow horns they always turn their head to the surface of the ground[.] I have seem them ploughed up with the top downwards and the grub broken off and they have shot sprouts out of the stem at the surface of the ground again.

I almost forgot to thank you for the grass seed you sent me[.] I shall plant it in the river flat and see what it will come to. if you have any Arrowroot seed I would be glad of a few to try though I fear the place is rather cold.

Yours Truly

John Price