To William Thiselton-Dyer   31 July 1889

31/7/891

 

By this mail, dear Mr Dyer, I send you specimens of all the kinds of ferns, gathered by Sir Will MacGregor in his ascent of the Owen Stanley's Ranges,2 an exploit, which I had urged for many years, and the importance of which I impressed in a personal interview here on his Honor. As Mr Carruthers works on Mr Forbes's Papuan ferns, I have sent to the British Museum a second set; — and you can of course make special arrangements with Mr Carruthers for dealing at Kew scientifically with these ferns, those from the subalpine heights being particularly interesting3 To Dr Masters I will send for the Gardeners-Chronicle a few hurried notes on the genera, represented in the cold zone of New Guinea, the commigration being very remarkable and significant.4

Always regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller

 

A set of the Phanerogams from Sir Will. MacGregor's last expedition will also be sent to Kew; so soon as elaborated.5 The specimens are however in a poor state, and represent not very many sp. as they had to be carried down the steep declivities through the wet jungles in the empty provision-bags. From this melange, I prepared the specimens. I will see, that this alpine exploration of New Guinea is followed up, so far as I can speed it, but to prepare good bot. specimens in early explorations is very diffcult indeed.

Lycopodiaceae I have only sent to you.

 

Lycopodiaceae

1
Date stamped: Royal Gardens Kew — 9 Sep. 89. Annotated in pencil by D. Oliver D. O. and in red ink by Thiselton-Dyer: And 22.9.89 and List 10.10.89 (neither letter nor list has been found).
2
Papua New Guinea. See Argus, 15 July 1889, p. 5.
3
See M to W. Carruthers, 31 July 1889 (in this edition as 89-07-31a).
4
B90.06.01.
5
B90.06.04.

Please cite as “FVM-89-07-31,” 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 16 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/89-07-31