Ferdinand von Mueller

10/2/69

It is really very kind of you, dear Professor M'Coy, to send me so generously such a fine selection of Marsupials.

1

See F. McCoy to M, 9 February 1869, in which McCoy forwards 20 specimens of marsupials to M in return for a young Australian Cassowary.

With the Myrmecobius I was gratified above all. I saw this neat little creature on Lake Torrens (300 miles north of Adelaide) in 1851, but never secured a specimen. I will do all in my power to get for your fine collections an adult Casuarius and an egg also, but it may be a long time to succeed, as the few animals, which may still exist in this very circumscribed area, are rendered so shy by the natives. On Sunday I had a visit from an English young Medical Man, Mr Bateman,

2

A. W. Bateman.

who was introduced to me by a letter from Prof Owen. Mr Bateman is interested in zoology and especially wishes to benefit the Oxford-Museum, under Prof Rolleston. I wished to give him an introductory line to you, but he said he had the means of waiting on you. In all likelyhood he will submit to you also a desiderata list. Dasyurus maculatus I noticed at Wilson's promontory in 1853.