Document information

Physical location:

Folder 3, box 51, James Hector, correspondence received, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Archives, Wellington. 65.05.22

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to James Hector, 1865-05-22. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/65-05-22>, accessed April 21, 2025

22/5/65
Dear Dr Hector
Let me thank you for your generous support of the expedition of search for our scientific colleague.
1
Ladies' Leichhardt Search Expedition, 1865-6.
I have sent by this mail to you two of my last books. If you have no use for them you may give them to some scientific institution.
Seemann has most unjustly delt with me respecting my describing or rather determining the Chatham plants. I cannot understand how Dr Hooker could have allowed such remarks.
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In his notice of M's Vegetation of the Chatham Islands , Berthold Seemann, editor of the Journal of botany, British and foreign, remarked that 'we regret that he [Mueller] did not postpone the publication a few weeks until Dr Hooker's "Handbook of the New Zealand Flora" should have reached him, in which the Chatham Island plants are taken up; and, as there was no particular hurry, collision would have been avoided'. Seemann also commented that M's enumeration of indigenous plant species on the islands 'must be taken cum grano salis, as in this volume Dr Mueller exhibits very advanced views in the definition of species, going far beyond even Dr Hooker' (Journal of botany, 3 (1865), pp. 95-6).
Seemann subsequently published an apology for his comment, saying: ' We might have written with equal justice that the author of the New Zealand Handbook ought to have waited until the Chatham Florule had come to hand' (Journal of botany, 4 (1866), 32).
In your endeavour to throw light on the vegetation of the small unexplored islands off N.Z., I will cooperate with you as far as I can.
I fear we have not fund enough to send on this arduous search expedition any naturalists. It would never do to send a volunteer & the contributions have come in too scantily. Could not Sir Geo Grey subscribe?
Regardfully yr
Ferd Mueller
If you see Sir George, pray ask, whether his Excellency has kindly consented to the nomination at the Royal Society of Scandinavian Antiquaries? The fee, once for all, is eleven guineas & the publications received therefore gratuitously are magnificent
3
MS annotation probably by Hector: 'Ansd'. Letter not found.