Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne

30/5/77.

It is always a source of honor and pleasure to me, reverend and venerable friend, to be adressed by the leading mycologist of the age. In answer to your considerate letter

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Letter not found.

I am forced to admit, to my regret, that at present I have actually nothing to offer to supplement the material for your intended new writings on Australian Fungi. Under the still continued ruinous oppression of my Department, while vast summes are wasted in trivial culture, I have no means, either private or public to keep a collector in the field, and I have rarely leisure even myself to visit forest-localities, all distant from the City, or other places from which I might add to former sendings to you. Had I been aware, that you would still be able to devote some of your precious time to studies of Australian Mycology, I could have sent you some mycologic collections (not very extensive) from Queensland Correspondents. You mentioned in your last letter,

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Letter not found.

that an enormous number of N. American species awaited your examination, and this seemed to render it hopeless to claim any time of yours for Australian Fungi. Thus I yielded to Baron Von Thümens solicitations to send him any new mycologic material, and Dr Kalkbrenner elaborated a portion of what I forwarded, the dust fungi being worked by Thümen merely.

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The list of 925 Australian fungi species prepared by M. C. Cooke in B81.13.12, pp. 75–104, includes 55 species named by Kalchbrenner and 5 by Thümen.

Now if he was asked by you, he undoubtedly would place at once all that he received from me at your disposal. Should new sendings arrive, I will forward them to you.

Let me express my deep sympathy at the loss of your poor daughter; how the younger often pass away, when a life of hope seems still before them!

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Cecilia Jane Berkeley died 24 December 1876, aged 40 years, from phthisis. Her death was registered (number 148) at Market Harborough on 27 December 1876 by her brother C. J. Rowland Berkeley.