Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from Melbourne International Exhibition (1880-1881: Melbourne) (1882); (B82.02.05).

Melbourne, 25th February, 1881.

To J. Cosmo Newbery, Esq., Superintendent of Juries and Awards.

Sir — In response to your request, I have inspected Dr. Ottokar Feistmantel's publication on the "Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Flora of Eastern Australia," written in the German language, which literary contribution forms one part of a series, issued under the name of "Palaeontologische Beiträge," by the same author, through the celebrated establishment of Herr Theodor Fischer, of Cassel.

2

Feistmantel (1876-78), vol. 3.

As the exhibit in the New South Wales Court does not include the whole series, the question arises whether I ought to have reported on the whole, or only on the part brought out in 1878, concerning fossil plants of New South Wales, the main portion of the work referring to Indian fossils, and thus more properly coming under adjudication in the Indian Court. Practically, however, this does not affect the award, as I would suggest that, in any case, the first degree of merit for originality and utility in this description of exhibit be awarded for the essay concerning these New South Wales fossils, because it evinces penetrating research of an experienced investigator, who has been long and specially engaged in the elucidation of organic relics of former ages, and who, as a specialist, is employed in this capacity by the Government of India for the geologic survey of that empire. The publication, illustrative of vegetable remains of the palaeozoic and mesozoic epoch of New South Wales, comprises thirty quarto lithograms, with scientific text, and brings together connectedly all that is known (from widely-scattered literary data) of the flora of that age, together with the numerous new observations now offered by Dr. Feistmantel in the publication referred to. The drawings are beautiful; and the fact that they emanated from Dr. Feistmantel's own hands is a guarantee of their perfect faithfulness. The text is lucid, and thoroughly scientific; while the lithographic and typographic workmanship is such as we might expect from Fischer's establishment. We have thus an important instalment towards the past flora of our own continent, the constituent parts of which are even now only fragmentarily known, from the imperfect material hitherto accessible. — I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient,