The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 30/1/80. ¶ ¶ I have been asked by a friend in Germany, dear Mr Ramsay, what the Gavial is, which occurs in the fresh ¶ upper ¶ waters of North Australia. ¶ Crocodilus Pondicherianus is known with ...

Document information

Physical location:

ML MSS.562, Letters to E. P. Ramsay 1862-91, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 80.01.30

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Edward Ramsay, 1880-01-30. 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/1880-9/1880/80-01-30-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

30/1/80.

I have been asked by a friend in Germany, dear Mr Ramsay, what the Gavial is, which occurs in the fresh upper waters of North Australia.

Almost certainly Ferdinand von Krauss. Krauss had received on 26 November 1879 a newspaper cutting from The Queenslander, 5 July 1879, p. 10, that mentioned 'the gavial or rather the Philas Johnstonii (Ramsay)'; see note 4 to F. von Krauss to M, 13 December 1879.

Crocodilus Pondicherianus is known with our common species from N. W. Australia, so we must have 3 species of this tribe of animals.

I am further asked for a copy of the first vol. of the L.S. of Sydney.

Linnean Society of NSW.

Could the Society still afford to send me one copy of that particular volume.

See also E. Ramsay to M, 4 February 1880, which also includes an answer to the question about crocodiles.

I shall continue to send the Eucalyptus-Atlas as gradually the different decades will appear.

B79.13.11 &c. Decade 4 had been published by November 1879; Decade 5 (see B80.13.14) had been published in time to be reviewed in The Queenslander (Brisbane), 3 April 1880, p. 443.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller

Unnamed eggs of Vict Birds are offered me at 1/6 each. Can you use them at that price?