Ferdinand von Mueller

6/7/94.

I thought, I had expressed myself clearly, dear Miss Walker, in my long letter

1

See M to A. Walker, 22 June 1894.

to yourself as regards the safe arrival of the round box with fung-specimens. I acknowledged the receipt also to Miss Ward-Cole.

2

Letter not found; correspondent almost certainly Margaret Cole, not her sister Agnes (at this date the family was known as 'Ward-Cole').

Indeed I enquired in my letter, whether you desired such specimens and paintings returned. I never saw Mr Drummond,

3

Not further identified.

but our

4

y deleted before our.

Brighton-friends

5

Mrs T.A. Cole and daughters lived at Brighton, Vic.

most promptly sent, what he brought. You may rest assured, that I will always act in your own interest to the best of my ability, when such collections arrive.

In my extensive letter I proposed that your new sending of fungs with a set of the drawings should also be sent to Kew, so that the special Fungologist there, Mr Massee, whose whole time and efforts are devoted to the study of fungs, should also examine them. Of the lot of last years drawings 3 plates have come back from Kew and you sent then no specimens with them. I would now advise, to see whether really any means at your Gov Printing Office exists for the costly process of chromolithography and have then those paintings done, of which you have received the systematic names by reference to vernaculars of your own. Meanwhile I would advise, that what I have here (of your latest sending) also be forwarded to Kew, but you cannot expect, that if such sendings are made, that the specimens be returned, as then Kew would have no advantage from the labour spent on the elucidation. Indeed I could not well ask that. Unfortunately there is only one specimen of each of the fungs. So I would advise that in all future cases 3 be secured, one for you to keep, one for Kew, one for Melbourne. What I now would therefore think the most advisable, is this: To have the three plates or paintings now returned to you (arrived here last month, as at once reported to you) as a trial submitted to the Gov. Printing Office in Sydney, you having the list of systematic names; that would be a commencement . If you can get the favor of more being done at once, take the originals of the lot received here through Mr Drummond, and authorize me to send the single specimens of each with the Drawings to Kew. By the time they have been there attended to the chromo lithographing could be done in Sydney. Try also to get specimens of all these fungs of 1893, which do not occur in the sending of 1894 so that at last the remainder of your drawings can by the help of the original plants be safely named. I like still to mention, that various fungs occur in our clime at different times of the year, so that at every month some sorts can be gathered, though more in the cool wet season than in the dry.