To [William Thiselton-Dyer]   1 July 1891

1/7/91¹

Private

For some time, my honored friend, I intended to write to you specially in reference to the sendings of Fungs for elaboration in England. After the lamented death of Berkeley, they went to Dr Cooke, usually direct, with an understanding, that a series of the specimens, so far as available, should be left at Kew, and a series be returned to my establishment. This has worked satisfactorily to all of us hitherto; but I think it right now to inform you officially of what you likely have learnt already indirectly, that Dr Cooke is engaged to write a descriptive volume on the mycology of Australia for which his thus far now unrivalled experience and his facilities at Kew he is specially suited.²

The subject was discussed some few years ago in correspondence between him and me, when I proposed, that the estimated cost of £400 should be borne by N.S.W., V. QL³ and South-Australia on a similar subsidial arrangement as that effected for the issue of the 7 volumes of Flora Australiensis.⁴ I wrote at once to Mr Ch. Moore and Mr F. M. Bailey, but neither of them could procure the needful £100 each, whereas I made myself responsible for Victoria to that amount. I had no fund in the Department to which I could charge so large a sum as £400, and times were not propitious here to get from the Ministry a special grant, particularly also as a clamour had arisen likewise for a bryologic, lichenologic and phycology volume, the number of Australian Algs for instance, now known being double that recorded by the never to be forgotten Harvey.⁵ This year the Agricultural Department here, on which Mr M'Alpine (much through my influence) received an appointment as veget. Pathologist, while Mr C. French became Entomologist, moved in the revival of the subject, to get through Dr Cooke the proposed systematic enumeration of the about 1500 of the Austr. Fungs done and printed in London; this succeeded by communicating not with the bot Gardens but with the agricultural Departments of the 4 colonies, and when I was consulted about it I gave it of course strenous support.⁶ Having now duely brought this arrangement under your notice, I have resolved to send in future for this volume any new material accumulating in my Department, always to you, and would beg, that it be arranged to give the name of each finder with the addition ("FvM or BvM"[)]⁷ in brackets when the specimens came from or through me,⁸ and this should also be done with the Kew material from me since 1857 as I must watch the interest of my Department, and as it would be but the barest justice to myself, as in many cases the material is from paid collectors or obtained in interchange. More over in hardly any case any one, who sent to me fungs would through this long series of years have done so, had it not been for my special inspiration Omitting my name would make it appear, as if all these fungs had gone from the Collectors direct to Dr Cooke. I have treated that Gentleman with every consideration, not followed the example of Mr Tepper of sending the material to Saccardo, Winter and others, have allowed him to keep a set for his herbarium, have slightly remunerated him for naming material, have subscribed to all his publications, have paid for many illustr. plates of the Grevillea.⁹

Regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller

Kindly acknowledge this letter at receipt and let me have any remarks of yours thereon