Fairacres,
Oxford,
10th January 1888
My dear Baron Mueller,
Your extremely kind letter has reached me here2 & found me in the midst of an unexpected excitement. It may seem strange that one should desire to leave the classic glades of Oxford where indeed I have everything that a botanist can wish for — a lovely old garden — a fine Herbarium — a grand old Library — a Laboratory and Museum — and all this with the charming surroundings of hallowed architecture & vigorous intellect. And yet there is one thing wanting and that is complete health. To one born & bred on the bracing shores of the Firth of Forth as I was the relaxing damp climate of this town upon the […]3 is very trying & I find myself working commonly at a low level of health. Now by the sudden & sad death of Prof. Dickson4 of Edinburgh a vacancy is occasioned in the Chair held for so long by your old friend my father and so notwithstanding all the many delights & attractions of Oxford I am trying to succeed to the Edinburgh Chair & am very hopeful that I may be able to do so.5 I am at the present moment engaged in all the troubles that such a wish entails for you may rest assured that so enviable a position is not to be got without a deal of contest with others who also wish for the post.
But although I have this prospect I must not in the meanwhile be neglectful of the place I am in and therefore your very kind offer of a Todea I most willingly & gladly accept. We shall be indeed glad to have one if you can kindly obtain one for us.
For my own work there are one or two things that I should much like to have if it be possible to obtain them. They are Hydrocharids & Naiads. Could you get me specimens of Blyxa, Ottelia, Enhalus, Posidonia, Lepilaena, Cymodocea & Amphibolus 6 and also of the Alismaceous Damasonium & Butomopsis. One cannot of course have living ones but I wish to work out completely the anatomy & morphology of these forms & if you could get me specimens preserved in alcohol of them in all conditions — in flower & fruit & in germination if possible — I should esteem it a very great favour & I should be able to complete a long delayed hope of following up my Halophila.7
I fear I am very greedy in my desires. You will I know sympathise with my aspirations. Does Penicillus one of the Siphonioid Algae grow anywhere within your area? I should much like some specimens if they were obtainable. Preserved either in alcohol or in saturated brine.
But in my asking favours from you I have run on without acknowledging your kindness. All the beautiful papers you have so kindly sent me are arrived & will be duly noticed in our Annals.8 I am exceedingly obliged to you for your generosity. I am hopeful that we shall ere very long have you as a contributor to the pages of the Annals. My Botany of Socotra9 which has just appeared I am sending to you & I hope you will care to have it — it has taken long to bring out, not by my fault.
The question of Terminology is a very important one & it is difficult now to make use of one which is altogether consistent. As views change so does the terminology & we get a big bill of terms which is a stumbling block to beginners. I think your principle of homologating the terms with those used in connection with the animal world is a very right one & the best if it can be followed.10
With kind regards & good wishes for the year we have just entered I am
yours very sincerely
Isaac Bayley Balfour
Amphibolus
Blyxa
Butomopsis
Cymodocea
Damasonium
Enhalus
Halophila
Hydrocharideae
Lepilaena
Naiadeae
Ottelia
Penicillus
Posidonia
Todea
Please cite as “FVM-88-01-10,” 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 4 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/88-01-10