Ferdinand von Mueller

19/2/90

By last mail, dear Dr Bride, I received a letter from Sir Jos. Hooker,

1

See J. Hooker to M, January 1890 (in this edition as 90-01-00f).

in which he asks me, to interest myself for the sale of the great index of plants,

2

That is, Index kewensis (B. Jackson (1895)), of which vol. 1 was issued in 1893. For the history of its publication, see Meikle (1971) and Stafleu (1966).

which to compile Charles Darwin spent a few years ago, just before his death, 6000£

The Cambridge-University-press will issue the work as cheaply as ever possible; — but still it will cost some £ each set of volumes, or perhaps the one very big volume. Mr B. D. Jackson has just completed the msc. I wrote to Sir Joseph,

3

Letter not found.

that I would take two copies, and that I felt sure the University would also take one and so certainly the public Library. Will you kindly bring this before the trustees?

4

MS annotation: 'Ordered. 31.3 90'.

I wanted to make a neighboorly call, after the main-engagements for the Austral. Assoc. had passed,

5

M was President of the Second Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Melbourne in January 1890.

but just learn, that you went to St Kilda

6

A seaside suburb in Melbourne.

Mr Walter

7

Carl (or Charles) Walter, botanist at Melbourne’s Industrial and Technological Museum, overseen by Bride through the Board of Trustees for the Public Library, Museums and National Gallery of Victoria.

sent me an official memorandum some days ago, requesting, to name or rename some articles for him, but as a head of a Department I consider it is not business-like, that such communications should come to me from anyone but Mr Newbery or his locum tenens or you. Will you kindly see, that Mr N. will make arrangements accordingly.