Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M4, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 67.06.17a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

George Bentham to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1867-06-17 [67.06.17a]. 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//letters/1860-9/1867/67-06-17a-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

Paris June 17/67
My dear Sir
Before I left London I was so constantly occupied that I had not a moment to acknowledge your last letter.
1
M to G. Bentham, 26 March 1867 (in this edition as 76-03-26a), or M to G. Bentham, 31 March 1867? Bentham did not acknowledge M's next letter after these, M to G. Bentham 21 April 1867 (in this edition as 67-04-21b), until after he returned to England; see G. Bentham to M, 17 September 1867.
Owing to Dr Hooker's engagements a great deal of seeing the Genera
2
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 1, part 3, issued in September 1867.
through the press fell upon me and I had great difficulty in getting the whole Part in print and the index in the printer's hands before I started — Having thus done so little to the continuation of the Australian Flora
3
Bentham (1863-78).
I have really nothing to report to you upon and I only write lest you should think me inattentive if you did not hear from me for several months After we leave Paris we intend making a tour in Germany and shall therefore not be home till September. I hope then if I preserve my health to devote myself steadily and exclusively to the Australian Flora untill the 4th volume (which ought to include & or at least down to ) is completed
I have to thank you for the 5th vol. of your Fragmenta which you have kindly sent me — we have this valuable work now complete as far as published except the 4th vol. which we have only in separate parts some of the sheets in uncorrected proofs as you sent them to Sir W. Hooker.
I trust that ere this reaches you the greater part of your will be on their way to Kew — for I hope to get on rapidly with the new volume — I have on many occasions examined so very many of the Monopetalous Orders, that I see no great difficulties and there are few that require the tedious boiling of the . The great difficulty will be the delimitation of species, their division carried further by R. Brown
4
Robert Brown (1773-1858).
than I should be disposed to admit and still further by many other eminent botanists whose views one does not like to neglect although one feels one cannot follow them.
The Exhibition here is certainly a very splendid one — you will no doubt have had full accounts of it from Mr Moore
5
Charles Moore, who had been appointed a commissioner for the Paris International Exhibition, 1867.
whose acquaintance I have had great pleasure in making
Just before leaving England I saw what appeared to be a most interesting report you sent to Dr Hooker (in slips) on Australian vegetation but I confess I had not time to read it but look forward to studying it with great pleasure on my return.
Ever yours sincerely
George Bentham.
Dr Ferdd Mueller