Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne im bot. u. zool. Garten,

am 17. Jan 1860.

Hochverehrter Herr Präsident.

Ich habe die Ehre, den Empfang des letzten vortrefflichen Bandes der Akademie d. Naturforscher dankend anzuerkennen, den ich auftragsgemäss an das hiesige astronomisch-magnetische Observatorium ablieferte. Ihrem Circular entsprechend nehme ich mir die Freiheit bei dieser Gelegenheit meine früheren Angaben in Bezug auf meine wissenschaftiche Stellung u. Beziehungen zu ergänzen.

Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich Mueller, geboren in Rostock am 30 Juni 1825, Doctor d. Med. u. d. Philosoph., Regierungs Botaniker für die Colonie Victoria u. Direktor des öffentl. botan. u. zoologisch. Gartens des Gouvernements zu Melbourne, derzeitiger Präsident der Royal Society (früher phil. Institute) u. Ehrenmitglied derselben, Vice-Präsident des Gartenbau Vereins, Ehrenmitglied der medical Society[,] des Deutschen Vereines u. der pharmaceutisch. Gesellsch. von Melbourne, der Royal Society of Tasmania, des naturforsch. Vereins im Harz u. in Hamburg, des scientific & literary Institute of Geelong, ordentl. Mitglied des Vereins der Naturforscher in Halle, der königlich Geographischen Gesellschaft in London, u der Linnéischen Gesellschaft in London, der microscopischen Gesellschaft von Melbourne, Regierungsmitglied des Board of Agriculture u. des Board of Science für Victoria. Auskunft über weitere etwaige Ehren würde unser vortrefflicher College Sonder ertheilen können.

Melbourne Botanic and Zoological Gardens,

17 January 1860.

Highly esteemed President,

I have the honour to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the latest excellent volume from the Academy of Natural Scientists,

1

i.e. the Leopoldina, or Academia Caesarea Leopoldino-Carolina Naturae Curiosorum, of which Dietrich von Kieser was President, 1858-62. An entry in the Academy's matriculation register records M's election as a member on 1 May 1857, with matriculation number 1799, as follows: 'Viro illustri, | Ferdinando Müller, | Philosophiae Doctori, Coloniae Novae Hollandiae Melbournensis, Victoriae, illustri nomine celebratae Botanico publico, Instituti Victoriani et Societatis Philosophiae Victorianae membro | cogn. Lechenault' [To the illustrious man, Ferdinand Müller, doctor of philosophy, of Melbourne Victoria in the Colony of New Holland, made famous by [its] Government Botanist of illustrious name, member of the Victorian Institute and of the Philosophical Society of Victoria, with the cognomen Lechenault].

A further entry, numbered 2056, records M's being elected a second time, in error, on 31 October 1865, with cognomen Bonpland II: 'viro experientissimo doctissimo Ferdinando Mueller medicinae et chirurgiae doctori botanico Melbournensi professori necnon horti botanici Directori meritissimo, in studiis botanicis diligentissimo, praestantissimo' [To the most experienced and learned man, Ferdinand Mueller, doctor of medicine and surgery, professor of botany at Melbourne as well as highly meritorious director of the Botanic Garden, most diligent and most preeminent in botanical studies].

which I delivered as requested to the astronomic-magnetic Observatory here.

2

i.e. the Flagstaff Observatory, Melbourne, directed by Georg Neumayer. Volume not identified.

In accordance with your circular

3

Circular not found.

I take the liberty to use this opportunity to augment my earlier information concerning my scientific position and connections.

4

Jahn & Schmidt (1996), pp. 41-3, includes a photographic copy from the Leopoldina archive of a very similar but undated curriculum vitae in Latin in M's hand, and a printed transcription which differs slightly from the transcription of the image given here, correcting some parts that Jahn & Schmidt indicate were doubtful:

Ferdinandus Jacobus Henricus Mueller, medicinae et philosophiae Doctor, guberni coloniae Victoriae phytologus, hortor. zoologic. et botanic. Director, instituti philosophici ibidem Praeses, societat. horticult. Vice-praeses, illius sicut Societatis medicorum, unionis Germanicae, societatis pharmaceuticae Melbournensis nec non instituti literarii Geelongensis et societatis regalis Tasmanicae et naturae scrutator Hercyniae socius honorarius, collegii literarii guberni coloniae Victoriae, societatis microscopicae ibidem nec non societatis regalis geographicae Londinensis et Linnaeanae Londinensis socius ordinarius, Societatis regiae botanicae Ratisbonensis et naturae scrutator Halensis sodal. epist. | Natus Rostochii ad mare balticum, 30 Jun. 1825. | Ferd. Mueller, | Ac. C. L. C. N. C. Membr. cognomine Lechenau[lt].

The version illustrated by Jahn & Schmidt is earlier than the one given in the German curriculum vitae in he present letter, as it does not include the change in status of the Philosophical Institute.

Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich Mueller, born in Rostock on 30 June 1825, Doctor of Medicine and of Philosophy, Government Botanist for the Colony of Victoria and Director of the public Botanic and Zoological Gardens of the Government in Melbourne, current President of the Royal Society (formerly Philosophical Institute)

5

The Philosophical Institute of Victoria had just received authorization to style itself the Royal Society of Victoria ; see H. Barkly to M, 13 January 1860 (in this edition as 60-01-13b) .

and honorary member of the same, Vice-President of the Horticultural Society, honorary member of the Medical Society, the German Club, and the Pharmaceutical Society of Melbourne, the Royal Society of Tasmania, the naturalist society in the Harz

6

See Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein des Harzes to M, 18 August 1858 (in this edition as 58-08-18a).

and in Hamburg,

7

Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein zu Hamburg.

the Scientific and Literary Institute of Geelong, ordinary member of the Naturalists' Society in Halle,

8

Naturforschende Gesellschaft zu Halle to M, 19 December 1855 (in this edition as 55-12-19a).

the Royal Geographical Society in London, and the Linnean Society in London, the Microscopical Society in Melbourne, Government member of the Board of Agriculture and the Board of Science for Victoria. Our excellent colleague Sonder would be able to provide information on any further possible honours.