To William Thiselton-Dyer   30 August 1892

30/8/92¹

Just before the close of the weekly mail, dear Dr Dyer, I received from the Agriculture-Department here a copy of Dr Cooke’s important Handbook on Australian Fungs,² and I would particularly beg of you, to express to the Author, that I was much gratified at his elaboration. I had of course not yet time to look carefully through the work, but the specific definitions seem terse and clear, and the plates are admirable. The book will necessarily give a strong impetus to mycologic studies in Australia.

I like to remark, that the first connected list of fungs of Continental Australia by Berkeley was mainly from my collections since 1847, the contribution of material towards it having been by Dr Schomburgk comparatively inconsiderable, and what he did was on my instigation.³ Altho’ probably I have numerically and specifically sent more fungs from Continental Australia to Europe than any one else, my own Queensland-Collectors under special instructions and expenses having collected fungs also largely, I am quite satisfied, that the names of the finders and senders were omitted in the work, as this has been done on this occasion uniformely throughout. I never declared it “scientific information”, to quote names of sending institutions and of discoverers. While in such work as the Handbook it is not absolutely needful, yet it is encouraging to the actual workers, particularly in new colonies, where collecting is beset with dangers nor so cheaply done as in the very traversable home countries. Sir Joseph Hooker’s “Handbook of the N.Z. Flora”⁴ gives the names of the gatherers, and it was only in the interest of those whom I inspired for collecting and in justice to the sacrifices of my Department which I am bound to keep well before the public⁵ as it would otherwise go to ruin,⁶ that I deemed special recognition desirable. In the XI vol. of the fragm. II, 121 (in 1881)⁷ I have shown already through Dr Cookes catalogue then that 1069 species of Australian fungs were specifically recorded including Sir Jos Hookers Tasmanian from Gunn, Archer[,] himself, largely from my own sendings, before any other sender from Victoria forwarded specimens to Europe, and of Queensland may be said almost the same! Miss Wehl⁸ will be pleased of her being specially mentioned; she is the daughter of my Sister and the late Dr Med. Wehl.⁹ Of course, had it not been for me, she would have neither collected nor painted fungs.

Regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller.