To Henry Ridley   17 May 1887

17/5/87.

Private

 

This day, dear Mr Ridley, I have sent to you the only specimen exstant of Microstylis Bernaysii, a plant named in honor of a brother of Prof Bernays of St. Thomas-Hospital.1 I adressed it to Mr Carruthers, so soon as it turned up in some mislaid parcel of plants here. As it is an only specimen, I should like it returned, after you have done with it; some flowers and leaves of it might be retained for the Brit-Museum Collections. The only plant in culture at Brisbane is lost.

Let me thank you for your information on the synonymy of Dendrob. longicolle.2 Your allusion to other Dendrobiums refers, I presume, to D. Macfarlanei, renamed lately by G. Rchb,3 who evidently overlooked my description of it in the "Papuan plants,"4 and then gave the same name to the previously described D. Johnsoniae.

Pray, ask Mr Carruthers, to excuse, as you must kindly do, my being still so much behind with Mr Forbes’s plants.5 The elaboration of the “Key” to the system of Vict. pl.6 proved so time-taking beyond all calculation, that I shall only be able to finish it in June or July; — and as for the early issue of it a demand was made in the Parliament here,7 I am bound to finish that first. I mentioned already, that if you liked to elaborate Mr F's Euphorbiaceae and Urticeae, to speed the work, I should be very glad.8

Some unpleasantness has occurred here quite lately between Mr F. & our geogr. branch here.9 For your and Mr Carruthers special information, but as a confidential remark, I like to say, that the Council of the Vict. geogr. Society, after the Rev Mr Chalmers inability to take the field,10 decided, lately, to send out a special expedition from Victoria, so that all the reports, diaries, maps and collections might become in first instance available to the colony, which provides the fund, — particularly so, as we have no prospect of a repetition of the vote. on the above condition only our £1000 would this season have become available to Mr Chalmers, if he could have gone out for us. Mr F would perhaps have been willing to enter on a similar arrangement with us, — but as he estimates the cost of one seasons expedition at £2000 (therefore only for portion of a year!), and as the Special Comissioner wants only — so far as hitherto arranged [—] to contribute out of the £15000 (voted for N.G. by the three eastern colonies of Austr, Q, N.S.W. & V.) either £500 or perhaps £1000, for forming a track through a gap of the ranges from Pt. Moresby to Acland bay11 across the peninsula, we could not entertain here any proposals of Mr F, as we have only £1000 and we want highland —, not lowland — exploration. Mr Douglas is, so Mr F. says, not likely back from the Louisiades12 til july, therefore too late this season, to withdraw — if he thinks proper — the condition on which his support depends.

I have for about a dozen of years in writings & prints of mine expressed a hope, that the elaboration of the highland plants of NG. should fall to my share; and as I feel, that my worldly work is drawing to a close, I am sure no one will grudge me my swan-song on the alpine and subalpine plants of N.G., more particularly so, as in Europe ample materials exist from other parts of the globe, to occupy every competent phytographer, and all the younger ones can work for decennia after me! I hope, to do a vast amount of work on Mr Forbes's and Mr Bäuerlens plants during the last half of this year, and some of the msc. can go to Mr Britten.13

When the "Key" is out, I must devote some time for selecting more plants for the Brit Museum.

Confidentially I may add, that I have asked a particular friend, who is this year "Rector magnificus" of one of the Continental Universities, to confer the honorary degree of Ph.D. on Mr Carruthers. I shall rejoyce, if my solicitation is successful.14

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Dendrobium Johnsoniae

Dendrobium longicolle

Dendrobium Macfarlanei

Euphorbiaceae

Microstylis Bernaysii

Urticeae

 
i.e. L. A. Bernays. See B78.03.01, p. 21.
Letter not found.
Reichenbach (1882).
B76.04.01, p. 29.
M and Carruthers had come to an agreement as to how the work of describing Forbes's plants should be divided between them; see W. Carruthers to M, 1 March 1886. See also M to H. Ridley, 12 January 1887 (in this edition as 87-01-12d).
B86.13.01, B88.13.03.
In July 1886, F. Dobson asked in the Legislative Council, as a question on notice, when the Key would be published; see M to A. Deakin, 28 July 1886 (in this edition as 86-07-28a).
See M to H. Ridley, 21 September 1886.
The Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia was embroiled in a public dispute about a grant towards Forbes' exploration of New Guinea. The Secretary of the Branch, Alexander Macdonald, wrote to the Editor of the Argus (6 May 1887, p. 9) to rebut a report in the Australasian (23 April 1887, p. 791) about a supposed promise of £500 that was never handed over. Forbes wrote to the Editor of the Argus (6 May 1887, p. 9), quoting Macdonald's letter and setting out his own position. The Argus (12 May 1887, p. 9) reported the discussion of that letter at a meeting of the Branch Council, and Forbes wrote again to the Editor of the Argus (16 May 1887, p. 7) refuting the claims made in the Council.
Chalmers was in England from August 1886 to July 1887; he left Sydney for Port Moresby, New Guinea, on 13 September 1887 (Flora malesiana, vol. 1, p. 103).
Dyke Ackland Bay?
An archipelago in the Coral Sea.
Some descriptions from Papuan collections were published after this date in the Journal of botany of which Britten was editor, for example, B91.06.02.
Letter not found. No evidence of such an award has been found.

Please cite as “FVM-87-05-17,” 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 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/87-05-17