Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot. Garden,

26/7./65.

Venerable and dear Sir.

Your learned essay on the foecundation of the Echidna

1

Owen (1865).

reached me within the last days. It is again one of the magnificent contributions to zoological science, of which we owe such a vast array to your genius & unabating researches. I trust that it will fall to my share to fill up the link of material, by which the examination of the anatomy and physiolgy of these curious creatures may be completed. I have in a public paper rendered known your request[s] of being provided with the Echidna and Ornithorrhynchus in Alcohol, when caught at certain seasons of the year.

2

See M to the Editor of the Australasian, 26 July 1865 (in this edition as 65-07-26h) (B65.07.20). M repeated his call a year later; see M to the Editor of the Australasian, 19 June 1866, p. 392 (B66.06.05), and M to the Editor of the Australasian,18 August 1866, p. 7 (B66.08.05).

A few days ago I had with the excellent & learned Prof Halford a conversation on the relation of the Gorilla to man. There are now excellent specimens in our Museum & skeletons as well.

3

For a discussion of Halford and the relationship of gorillas to man, see Butcher (1988).

We both agree, that the chasm between this troglodyt & the human species is infinitely greater, than between it and its congeneric and coordinal types. Some of the new osteologic characters given by Prof Halford

4

Halford (1866).

are most striking in this respect. The glorious Martius , in a long ingenious letter by last mail,

5

Letter not found.

when expressing his absolute approval of the views enunciated in my little work on the vegetation of the Chatham's Islands,

6

B64.10.02.

gives his crushing weight of authority against the transmutation theory. How other views than those of that truely great man & those which in you have a pillar of strenght could even be entertained has all along to my poor understanding been an enigma.

I trust the Great Meteorite has found its safe location now at the British Museum.

7

See Lucas et al. (1994).