Books

London: John Murray, 1871. First Edition, First Printings. Hardcover. Very Good. First Edition, First Printings. Hardcover. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 8vo (189 x 129 mm). viii, 423 [1], 16; viii, [2], 475 [1], 16 pp., including half-titles, publisher's catalogue dated January 1871 at end of each volume, and several woodcut illustrations in text. Untrimmed and partially unopened. Original publishers green cloth (cloth little rubbed, spotted and soiled, corners bumped and frayed, slight wear to extremities), inner hinges cracked but holding. Internally very little age-toned, little foxing to endpapers, half-titles and adverts at end (else virtually unfoxed), short tear in blank fore-margin of vol. I, p.21/22. Provenance: Charles Robertson (inscribed on half-title and first flyleaf of vol. I). Still very good, unsophisticated set. ---- Freeman 245, Norman 599, Sparrow 48; Garrison-M. 170 - First edition, first issue of both volumes (with the errata on verso of title-leaf in vol. II…

In 'The Descent of Man,' Charles Darwin applies evolutionary theory to human evolution, and details his theory of sexual selection.

Original first editions published by John Murray in 1871 can be identified by green cloth boards with gilt details on the spine and by the presence of advertisements at the end of the volume dated January 1871.