Ferdinand von Mueller

24/5/81

I am greatly beholden to you, dear Mr Mitten, that you will spare some of your valuable time for rectifying & supplementing the list of Australian Mosses, which the venerable Dr Hampe as the last of his works prepared for my fragmenta,

1

Hampe (1881).

& if you will do the same for Gottsche's enumeration

2

Gottsche (1881).

I shall be still more indebted to you. As the list of Musci does not include the Tasmanian peculiar species at all, the additions would be rather considerable. I have not been able to do justice to the task from Jaeger's enumeration

3

Jaeger & Sauerbeck (1870-9).

and such other literary material, as was at my disposal.

What a glorious achievement it would be, if you and Dr Carl Mueller would crown your labors by a Bryologia totius mundi

4

Bryology of the whole world.

through united final studies. The work to you and him should not be over labourious.

I have not yet learnt what will become of Hampe's enormous collection. Perhaps Kew will acquire these rare treasures also like Schimper's.

5

The Hampe collection was acquired by RBG Kew in 1881; that of W. P. Schimper was purchased by Baroness Burdett-Coutts and donated to Kew in 1880 (TL2).

It would be interesting to me to know which of the Australian plants at your place braved the strong last winters

If I can do for you anything here, pray, command my services.

The additions to the list in the fragmenta are to appear at the end of the year.

6

B81.13.12, pp. 105-21, which includes (pp. 114-5) information supplied by Mitten but not received until after Hampe (1881), the main supplementary list of mosses, had been printed.