Ferdinand von Mueller

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MS filed with M to R. Tate, 2 May 1882, and O. Tepper to R. Tate, 1 February 1882.

Clarendon

25th April, 1882.

Dear Sir,

Your note of today I received and thank you for the information The Aphidian has become discolored to some extend;

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sic.

originally its tint was pale, with a deep black patch on the head.

In regard of the other affair I beg to say, that I mostly see only the news in the weekly paper, so was not aware of your departure till several days after. Receiving no reply from you for several days, the ready written paper was posted, assuming from your silence that you had no objection, and also assuming from placing all my observations unreservedly at your disposition, that by the first assumption I would not incur your displeasure. As it is, the letter to the Secretary of the Linnean Society is already written withdrawing the said paper temporarily for the present, though in fact, I have been most careful not to intrude upon your object; have not mentioned anything about Kangaroo Island ,

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As it is … Island is marked with a line in the margin.

and stated most emphatically, that you were the originator of the excursion and that the plants were collected conjointly with you, and how in this I can have done you injustice is inexplicable to me. Moreover, I have only enumerated the plants and used the information obtained by Baron Mueller, as to the Tasmanian character of some of them.

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The paper to the Linnean Society was evidently not permenantly withdrawn as Tepper (1884a) was read on 7 December 1882.

I am very sorry to have done something opposed to your wishes or at least not approved by you & shall take care to be more careful in future, as I am most desirous to avoid even the appearance of interfering with another.

Hoping that you will kindly deem the above a sufficient explanation and that you will generously excuse past error, if error there be, I have the honour to remain

Prof. R. Tate, Esq, F.G.S. etc.

Buxton Street

North Adelaide