Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne botan.

Garden, 14/4/69.

Afford me the gratification, dear Professor Owen, to introduce to you Dr Rees, a young surgeon, educated at the Melbourne University, and who now proceeds for a while to Europe with a view of extending his knowledge at the grand institutions in Europe. He is eager to have had the privilege of meeting so eminent an anatomist and philosopher as yourself, who could advise him so well in reference to his future course of life

1

M also provided an introduction to Joseph Hooker (M to J. Hooker, 13 April 1869).

It is my intention of sending a cast of the great goldmass, recently disinterred here,

2

The ‘Welcome Stranger’ nugget; reports of its mass vary, but Museum Victoria reports 66 kg.

to you through Dr Rees for the British Museum. Possibly however the cast will not be ready in time for the Anglesey.

3

The cast was sent later; see M to J. Hooker: 11 August 1869 (in this edition as 69-08-11b), and 11 August 1870 (in this edition as 79-08-11b). Another cast was sent to Stuttgart; see M to F. Krauss, 14 August 1869 (in this edition as 69-08-14d).

It will be left ungilt, as the gilding can so readily be effected in Europe. No recent additional information has been obtained respecting the development of the Monotremata. I am in sparehours engaged in some toxicologic investigations of Australian plants, but the subject is surrounded with many difficulties, and thus my approach can be but cautious.

It was my intention to send for your friendly acceptance the 6th vol. of my fragmenta, but the index has not become timely completed.