Melbourne,
20/5/87
T. R. Wilson Esq,
Undersecretary.
Sir.
In reference to my letter of the 2 April1 I have the honor to report for information to the hon. the Acting Chief Secretary, that I shall still require a few weeks more for completing the manuscripts for part I of the "Key to the System of Victorian plants".2 The notes for the 1900 species of our indigenous plants, to be used in the characterizing of them, are elaborated long ago; but to put these notes into the dichotomous arrangement, to which I am bound, takes much more time, than I even thought myself, for producing a really useful work. I have for a long while laid all other litterary work aside, to complete the Key, with a view of seeing it early through the press, and I see now, my way clear, to bring this work soon to its conclusion.
I have the honor to be,
Sir, your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller.
Please cite as “FVM-87-05-20,” 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