Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS annotation by Krauss: 'Rep. 10. März 1879 | Empf. 21. Jan. 79' [Replied 10 March 1879 Received 21 January 1879]. Letter not found.

28/12/78

Wie Sie aus beigefügter Notiz ersehen werden, bester Freund, geht jetzt wieder eine Sammlung zoolog. Objecte an Sie ab, und zwar eine wichtige Sendung, welche manches Neue enthalten wird. Die Spinnen werden Ihren grossen Arachniden Kenner ergötzen, auch unter den zahlreichen Fröschen und unter den Fischen und Amphibien von Arnhems Land sollte sich Neues finden. Im Zusammenbringen der Frösche und Arachniden ist mir Mr Charles French behilflich gewesen, u. wäre es mir daher lieb, wenn Sie es veranlassen wollen, dass von diesen beiden Gruppen eine neue Art nach ihm genannt werde. Auch mein Gehülfe, Hr. C. Groener aus Hannover, verdient eine ähnliche Anerkennung, da er mir die Mühe des Packens schon seit Jahren abgenommen hat. Ich bin noch nicht ganz wiederhergestellt aber doch besser als wie ich zuletzt schrieb

28/12/78

As you will see from the enclosed note,

2

MS list by C. Groener: ‘Pr. s. s. Northumberland nach London am 4. December 1878 An Herrn Professor Dr Krauss Stuttgard | 1 Fass enthaltend | 2 kleine Kästchen mit 2 Gläsern Spinnen von Nord Queensland | 3 Gläser mit Fröschen von Victoria & Süd Australien | 1 Paquet seperat in einem Sack genäht oben auf im Fasse enthaltend Fische und Reptilien von Port Darwin (Nord Australien) | Sämmtliche andere Fische und Reptilien sind von West-Australien (King Georges Sound)'.

[Per S.S. Northumberland to London on 4 December 1878 | To Professor Dr Krauss Stuttgart | 1 barrel containing | 2 small boxes with 2 jars spiders from North Queensland | 3 jars with frogs from Victoria & South Australia | 1 packet separate in a sack sown at the top containing in a barrel fishes and reptiles from Port Darwin (North Australia) | All other fishes and reptiles are from West Australia (King Georges Sound)].

MS annotation by Krauss: 'erhalten mit dem Brief v. 28/12.78’ [received with the letter of 28 December 1878]. A second copy of this list is annotated by Krauss: 'd. 5. Febr. 79 erhalten ohne Begleitschreiben' [received 5 February 1879 without accompanying letter].

On a separate sheet Krauss has written: 'Sendung v. 5. März 1879 per Northumberland | K. G. Sound | 2 Mus Arten schlecht erhalten verdrückt | 2 Myrmecobius gut | Reptilien , schöne Scinciden (15 Spec.) | u. schöne Anuran Amphibien 40 Spec. gut erhalten | (gibts keine Salamandrinen?) | die 7 Rept. v. K. G. Sound zerdrückt, die Hydrophis vielleicht [pelamidoides] Schlg. | Fische 40 Spec. im Allgem. gut, ein grosser verschnitten, meist 1 St., | […] noch mehr, Geotria austral. | 3 Spec. A[…] | Arachnoidea ca 50 Spec.'

[Consignment of 5 March 1879 per Northhumberland | 2 Mus species badly preserved crushed King Georges Sound | 2 Myrmecobius good | Reptiles , beautiful skinks (15 species) | and beautiful anuran amphibians 40 specimens well preserved | (are there no salamanders?) | The 7 reptiles from King Georges Sound squashed, the Hydrophis perhaps [pelamedoides] Schlg. | Fishes 40 species in general good, a large one cut up, mostly one specimen | […] even more Geotria austral. | 3 species […] | Arachnids about 50 species.]

The file includes a draft letter to M by Krauss: ‘im August 78 erhielt ich Fische u. Rept., welche nach ihrem Brief v. 15/3 78 vom Palmer R. Queensland, nach der Bezeichnung des Fässchens aber v. P. Darwin seyn sollen, was ist richtig? d. 10. März 79 noch einmal angefragt dabei war 5 [Stamm]abschnitte für Dr. Luerssen bot. Garten in Leipzig, u. ein Packet mit Schriften an die Redact. des Gothaischen Kalenders.'

[In August 1878 I received fishes and reptiles which according to your letter of 15 March 1878 [letter not found] [were] from the Palmer River, Queensland, but according to the marking on the barrel are said to be from Port Darwin, what is correct? 10 March 1879 asked again received with it were 5 cuttings for Dr Luerssen bot. garden in Leipzig, and a packet with letters to the editor of the Gothaischen Kalender.]

These letters were presumably sent to Ernst Behm, editor of Petermann's geographische Mittheilungen, and probably included the following information published by him in this journal, vol. 25, Heft 4, the closing date for which was 31 March 1879: (1) news that Sir Thomas Elder was to fund an expedition with camels in central Australia led by J. Young; (2) extracts from H. V. Barclay's report, published in German translation in Deutsche Südaustralische Zeitung, of his expedition into the country north-east of Alice Springs; and (3) news of A. Goldie's return to Sydney after 18 months exploring in New Guinea.

The file also includes a shipping note written in German: 'Lieferschein der Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft "Zeeland"' [Delivery note of the Steamship Company "Zeeland"], Empfänger [Recipient] Herr Pr Dr von Krauss Stuttgart', dated London 26 February 1879, that details the brand and number on the single crate containing natural history preparations, weighing 53 kilos and valued at 100 Marks.

best of friends, a collection of zoological objects is now going off again to you, and in fact an important consignment that will contain many new things. The spiders will delight your great arachnid specialist, also new things should be found among the numerous frogs and among the fishes and amphibians from Arnhems Land.

3

NT.

Mr Charles French has been helpful to me in bringing together the frogs and arachnids and I should be glad if you would arrange that a new species from both these groups be named after him.

4

Charles French Snr. Although there is a spider Isopeda frenchi , this was described from specimens sent by French to the British Museum (Natural History) (Hogg (1903) , p. 437 ) . No frog named for French has been found (Australian Faunal Directory , accessed 7 November 2023) .

Also my assistant, Mr C. Groener from Hannover, deserves similar acknowledgment because he has taken away from me for years the trouble of packing. I am still not quite re-established yet, but yet better than when I last wrote