Document information
Physical location:
No. 544, folder 28, series 4, MS 610 Deane family papers, National Library of Australia, Canberra. 95.04.25Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Henry Deane, 1895-04-25. 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/1890-6/1895/95-04-25-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026
25/4/95
It is very pleasing to me, dear Mr Deane, to receive this morning the two impressions
of the new part of Fitzgerald's orchids, which with the aid of the honorable Dr Norton
you brought out.
I was glad to see, that you have chosen white paper, as the clearness of former plates
suffered from the greyness of the lithographic paper then used. This new part contains
much of special interest, thus your referring the Bulbophyllum purpurascens to Osyricera.
I never had good or sufficient specimens for dissecting this plant.
1
Fitzgerald (1875-1894), vol. 2, part 5, published late in 1894. This part was worked up by Deane, with a preface by James Norton explaining that the posthumous publication was supported
by the NSW Government and that 'Mr. Henry Deane ... who was no mean botanist and had
devoted a large portion of his leisure to the study of the Orchidaceae, was induced
to undertake the duty of preparing the necessary letterpress, using such notes as
had been left by Mr. Fitzgerald, and supplementing these from his own valuable experience and observations'.
I need not reiterate my former assurance, that I will aid you, so far as I can, in
the issue of the continuations of this superb work.
I might add further notes on geographic distribution and various other remarks. You
are aware, that I am now entering the 8th Decade of my life; so at best but little
can remain of my worldly career, and time becomes more and more precious to me, as I like to bring out yet
some few more volumes of my own from unpublished notes. The 9th Edition of the "Select
plants" (again augmented)
is also now going into print.
2
In W. Woolls to H. Deane, 13 January 1893 (MS 610/14/246, Deane family papers, National
Library of Australia, Canberra), Woolls wrote: 'Should you see young Mr Fitzgerald, will you kindly tell him that the Baron would
assist him in writing descriptions of any orchids figured by his late lamented father'.
Fitzgerald had three sons, but M was probably referring to Robert David Fitzgerald
(1864-1950): Messmer (1932), p. 240 reports that he held the coloured drawings made
by his father.
M to H. Deane, 7 September 1893, contained an offer to assist Deane, and expressed pleasure that Deane had taken on
the editorship. Furter offers of assistance were made in M to H. Deane, 1 October 1893, an offer evidently accepted by Deane; see M to H. Deane, 14 October 1893, M to H. Deane, 15 October 1893, and M to H. Deane, 25 December 1893.
3
B95.08.04.
Always regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller
Bulbophyllum purpurascens
Osyricera