To Frederick Bailey1    31 May 1893

Copy 2

Melbourne, 31st May 1893

Sir

in reply to your letter of the 25th inst.3 I have the honor to inform you that Fagus Moorei was discovered some time ago by Mr R. Collins on high mountains towards Jamaroocau,4 where it seems to occur only in one spot, and it is easily comprehended, that this discovery would interest the Natural History Society of Brisbane, to which I also belong. Had the finding of this tree in Q.L5 been of any entomologic importance such would of course have been explained at the recent meeting of the Society.6

In reference to a circular in type writing,7 sent several weeks ago by you without letter or further explanation to me just like to some others, announcing suddenly and unexpectedly your intention to supplement the Flora Australiensis8 “you are fully aware of my desire to keep published up to date an account of all the plants of Australia”,9 with the final view of my completing that work, and you must also know well enough that I have been almost daily making exertions for this purpose ever since the succesive volumes of Flora appeared and that Bentham himself publicly desired that additions should be brought up connectedly If any one should compile from my “Fragmenta” and other literary property of mine, outside what pertains to the colony in which he is officially engaged, it will be against my rights and against my permission, as such an act would inflict injuries on my status and department. My explorations have been variously and extensively carried on in all the Australian colonies since 1847, not like yours merely in one and only in much more recent times. Furthermore solely in my collections are the needful materials for a full elucidation the universal vegetation of Australia. I would however beg to advise that as early as possible a full flora of Queensland be written; and remains surprising that by far the largest portion of its territory has never yet been botanically traversed, notwithstanding the facilities long ere this offered by through railways, coaches and steamers existing widely through the colony for a number of years.

I have the honor to be

Sir

Your obedient servant

(signed) Ferd. von Mueller

Govt. Botanist for Victoria

 

Fagus Moorei

 
1
MS is stamped: ' Royal Gardens Kew 10. Jul. 93'.
2
The copy, marked by the copyist, 'F. M. Bailey F.L.S Colonial Botanist for Queensland', was enclosed with M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 31 May 1893 (in this edition as 93-05-31a). M's corrections have been incorporated into the transcription.
3
F. Bailey to M, 25 May 1893.
4
Not identified. Possibly the copyist's error?
5
Qld.
6
Bailey in his letter had noted that a Brisbane newspaper had reported M's sending a specimen to the Entomologist of the Queensland Museum, and requested that M give Bailey details of the locality.
7
M sent a copy of Bailey’s circular with M to J. Hooker, 28 March 1893; there is another copy at Kew in RBG Kew, Kew Gardens, Colonial Floras, Kewensia, K9/655.59, f. 99.
8
Bentham (1863-78).
9
M is quoting F. Bailey to M, 25 May 1893, where Bailey uses the wording to refer to himself.

Please cite as “FVM-93-05-31,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/93-05-31