The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne, ¶ 18 April 1874. ¶ ¶ I should have answered your kindly letter already last month, noble friend, and also should have expressed my appreciation for all the effort Dr Klunzinger expended on...

Document information

Physical location:

Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Stuttgart. 74.04.18b

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ferdinand von Krauss, 1874-04-18 [74.04.18b]. 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/74-04-18b>, accessed September 11, 2025

MS annotation by Krauss: 'empf. 17. Juni | R. 5. März 1875 | 4 Arten Flussschildkröten (Chelodina) | aus W. & N. Austral.' [received 17 June 1874. Replied 5 March 1875. 4 species of freshwater tortoise (Chelodina) from W. & N. Australia].

Melbourne

18/4/74.

Schon im vorigen Monate, edler Freund, hätte ich Ihren letzten so freundlichen Brief beantworten sollen, so wie auch meine Anerkennung sagen müssen, für die Mühe, mit welcher sich Hr Dr Klunzinger der Untersuchung meiner bisher gesandten Fische widmete. Dass Sie auch die ornithologie Australiens so schön fördern, muss mich hier noch mehr wünschen lassen, die Sammlungen dort zu vergrössern. Um so mehr bedauere ich es, dass die Störungen in meinem Departement noch immer nicht ganz überwunden sind und mich noch viel von wissenschaftlichen Beschäftigungen abziehe. — Ich habe übrigens Manches für Sie fertig, und dies soll demnächst abgesandt werden.

Da in Hr Dr Klunzinger's Abhandlung der Schriften des Grafen von Castelnau über unsere Fische hier (in den 1 u 2 Bände (1872 & 73) unserer Acclimations Gesellschaft hier keine Erwähnung geschieht, so muss ich wohl annehmen, dass ihm die Priorität geblieben ist. Verzeihen Sie, edler Freund, die Kürze meines heutigen Schreibens, u bleiben Sie freundlich gesinnt Ihrem dankbar Ergebenen

Ferd. von Mueller

What follows is on a separate piece of paper attached to this letter. The first sentence is written by M, the list is in an unknown hand, presumably that of one of M's assistants.

Geschickt durch Hr Baumann unter Adresse von Hr Dr Sonder im März 1874.

1 Fass mit Fischen Schlangen u Eidechsen gesandt an Herrn Dr Sonder in Hamburg enthält folgende Sachen:

Die unten im Fass befindlichen Sachen sind von Tasmanien

In der Mitte besonders abgetheilt befinden sich Gegenstände von Port Phillip.

Oben auf, auch besonders abgeschieden sind einige Sachen von Port Denison, Queensland.

Melbourne,

18 April 1874.

I should have answered your kindly letter already last month, noble friend, and also should have expressed my appreciation for all the effort Dr Klunzinger expended on the examination of the fish sent by me to date. Seeing you also promote ornithology so much only makes me wish here even more to enlarge the collection there. Therefore I regret all the more, that the disruptions in my department still have not been completely overcome and still divert me a lot from scientific work. By the way, I have a number of things ready for you, and these shall be sent off shortly.

As in Dr Klunzinger's paper the publications of Count Castelnau here about our fish (in the first and second volumes (1872 and 1873) of our Acclimatisation Society) have not been mentioned, I must assume that he retains priority.

Fricke (2005) reviews the status of Stuttgart's holding of around 2,500 fish specimens sent by M, listing many species named in his honour by Klunzinger, especially in Klunzinger (1880). The papers Castelnau (1872) and Castelnau (1873) were not mentioned in Klunziger (1872); it is unlikely that he could have seen these before his paper was prepared. The specimens used in Klunziger (1872) were supplied by M, who was honoured in the name of two species from Hobson's Bay, including Mueller's Flounder, described as Pseudorhombus mülleri (p.40). The other, Dinolestes mülleri, had been previously described in 1834, as D. lewini.

Forgive me, noble friend, the brevity of my letter today, and continue to retain your friendly sentiments towards your gratefully devoted

Ferd. von Mueller.

Sent through Mr Baumann

See also W. Sonder to F. Krauss, 20 November 1874 (in this edition as M74-11-20).

per address of Dr Sonder in March 1874.

1 barrel with fish, snakes, and lizards sent to Dr Sonder in Hamburg contains the following:

The specimens in the bottom of the barrel are from Tasmania.

In the middle, specially separated off, are specimens from Port Phillip.

On top, also specially separated, are a few specimens from Port Denison, Queensland.