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Charles Darwin. The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits. John Murray, London, 1881.

Price: US$221.25 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: Second Thousand. Illustrated with wood engravings in the text, original green cloth. The Final book published by British Naturalist, Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution and natural selection. Sampstaining to the cloth and consequent rippling, rubbing at the extremities, spine leaning, front hinge exposed, rear hinge repaired, binding cracked internally, a few hints of foxing. About very good. ; Small 8vo 7½" - 8" tall; 326 pages

Seller: Rare Collections, Brighton East, VIC, Australia

DARWIN, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits. John Murray London 1881 First Edition, Third Thousand, 1881.

Price: US$235.16 + shipping

Description: Ex-Library 7.25" x 4.75" Half-Leather Very Good Half tan leather/ marbled boards, gilt bands and titles to spine, pp. [i-iii] iv-vii, [1] 2- 326, illustrated by b&w engravings and diagrams, ex- Beechworth Public Library with usual indicia, lacks ffep, binding sound & tight.

Seller: Books On Dean, Albury, NSW, Australia

Darwin, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould. John Murray, London, 1881.

Price: US$324.89 + shipping

Description: Binding in poor condition, fron board split but extant. Loss to head and foot of spine, and some heavy bumps to edges. Marbled PDs and CE, PP very clean and tidy. Would make an excellent candidate for a professional re-bind. Good, solid copy. Size: 8vo

Seller: Bookcase, Carlisle, United Kingdom

Charles Darwin.. The Formation of Vegetable Mould,: Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits (1881).. John Murray, 1881.

Price: US$325.00 + shipping

Description: Original green cloth cover with gold lettering on spine andf blindstamped borders on front and rear boards, 1881, second thousand, 326pp + list of books by the author. Cover almost like new--slightest loss of color on edges, cloth worn through a tiny bit on tips of outer corners, slight wear on small patch of back cover, binding tight and square but front endpaper just staring to split at hinge, last page and rear free endpaper stuck together along approximately one inch along inner margin. old very small bookseller embossed name on FFEP, old gift inscription (not by author) in neat old script dated 1881; foxing on first few and last few pages, interior otherwise like new. ** We are a small family business selling fine new and pre-owned books online since 1999. We provide professional service and individual attention to your order, daily shipments, and sturdy packaging. FREE TRACKING ON ALL SHIPMENTS WITHIN USA.

Seller: Brentwood Books, Kinnelon, NJ, U.S.A.

Darwin, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. John Murray, London, 1881.

Price: US$519.82 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: vii, [1], 326, [2], 15 text woodcuts. . HB. 8vo, orig. blind-stamped green cloth, gt, slightly rubbed at corners. Some pages unopened; very light crease to top corner of several gatherings. A very good, well-preserved copy. Book-plate of J. Kentish Wright. Third thousand. This work was first published October 10, 1881, with the second to fifth thousand also being printed in the same year. 'The book was remarkably successful, selling 6,000 copies within a year, and 13,000 before the end of the century. To begin with it sold faster than The Origin of Species had.' (Freeman). Darwin's last book. With errata slip tipped in before page 1. Freeman 1359.

Seller: PEMBERLEY NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS BA, ABA, Iver, United Kingdom

Darwin, Charles.. The Formation of Vegetable Mould. Through the action of Worms with Observations on their Habits.. 1st. Ed. 3rd. Thou. Pub. John Murray. 1881, 1881.

Price: US$519.82 + shipping

Description: pp.vii, [i], 326 with b/w. illus. in text, errata slip plus 1-page publisher’s Catalogue. 8vo. Hardback. Contents exceptionally clean and nr. fine. Original green cloth with gilt lettering in nr. fine condition, just ever so lightly rubbed on tips. A most pleasing copy. Freeman 1359.

Seller: C. Arden (Bookseller) ABA, Hay-on-Wye, United Kingdom

Darwin, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. John Murray, London, 1881.

Price: US$617.28 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: vii, [1], 326, [2], 15 text figs. . HB. 8vo, orig. blind-stamped green cloth, gt, spine a touch darkened, minor rubbing to extremities. Some light foxing to endpapers and final page only. A very good copy. With lengthy, contemporary newspaper review of the book (October 10, 1881) pasted to verso of front free endpaper. A card bearing a handwritten, contemporary acrostic verse on the death of Darwin (in which the first letter of each line spells the name Darwin), with initials R.F.F, is mounted on front fly-leaf. Provenance: 'To the model maiden of the 19th century Jessie Beck from Theodore Beck, Dec 13, 1881', with 3 initial letters depicted as worms (inscription to fly-leaf). Theodore Beck (1859-1899), was a Quaker and British educationalist, who worked under the British Raj in India, and was Principal of the Mahommedan Anglo-Oriental College, Aligarh, from 1883 up until his death in 1899. Third thousand. This work was first published October 10, 1881, with the second to fifth thousand also being printed in the same year. 'The book was remarkably successful, selling 6,000 copies within a year, and 13,000 before the end of the century. To begin with it sold faster than The Origin of Species had.' (Freeman). Darwin's last book. With errata slip tipped in before page 1. Freeman 1359.

Seller: PEMBERLEY NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS BA, ABA, Iver, United Kingdom

Charles Darwin. The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the action of Worms with Observation of their Habits. John Murray, London UK, 1881.

Price: US$1143.60 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: A second thousandth edition with illustrations in very good condition. Green cloth boards with spotting and some marks. Clean and bright contents. Hinges on end papers cracked.

Seller: Rare And Antique Books PBFA, Exeter, DEVON, United Kingdom

Charles Darwin. The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. John Murray, London, 1881.

Price: US$1200.00 + shipping

Condition: Good

Description: Half-bound. Gilt titling ("Vegetable Mould & Earthworms") to spine with five raised bands. "Porter's Bequest" in gilt at spine base. Library marks in black to spine. Boards shelfrubbed and somewhat rubbed at corners. The front board is still attached but hanging by a thread. Library markings to title page and ref. nos. to tp verso. Indeterminate purple pencil mark to front pastedown. Plain green endpapers. No mention of "thousand" on tp. [vii] + 326pp. illus. No ads at the end. Binding tight. The contents appear unmarked and undiscoloured and possibly unread.

Seller: Snookerybooks, Philippolis, South Africa

DARWIN, Charles. The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms, with observations on their habits. With illustrations. Second thousand.. London: John Murray, 1881,, 1881.

Price: US$1569.44 + shipping

Description: in-8vo, VII (+1 white) + 326 p. + 1 leaf (list of works by Darwin), ill. with 15 woodcuts in-text, old ownership inscription to half-title ?Th. Gompertz?, Original publisher?s green cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, front and rear boards panelled in blind, dark brown endpapers, edges uncut. First edition, second printing. The last publication prior to his death in 1882 is the culmination of ten years of intensive research and close observation of the interaction of earthworms with their physical environment and their influence on great earth movements. "It was his leitmotif, explaining vast changes by minute incremental events: mountain uplift, evolving life, and now worms transforming the soil" (ODNB). The first printing was said to be of 2,000 copies, but copies of the second thousand are noted as such on the title page; otherwise there are no textual differences. It is likely that the first and second thousand were printed simultaneously, but bound up with different title pages. Please notify before visiting to see a book. Prices are excl. VAT/TVA (only Switzerland) & postage. Freeman 1357.

Seller: Harteveld Rare Books Ltd., Fribourg, Switzerland

DARWIN, Charles.. The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. With Illustrations.. London: John Murray, 1881, 1881.

Price: US$3248.86 + shipping

Description: First edition, first issue. Published the year before his death, it was a remarkable success and sold 6,000 copies within a year, with initial sales faster than those for Origin of Species. Formation of Vegetable Mould was the culmination of ten years of intensive research and close observation by Darwin. It was his "leitmotif, explaining vast changes by minute incremental events: mountain uplift, evolving life, and now worms transforming the soil" (ODNB). The first impression of 2,000 copies was apparently split between two equal issues, the first without a "thousand" statement, as here, and the second with "second thousand" on the title; all issues thereafter had such a statement. Provenance: with the armorial bookplate of the Morkill family on the front pastedown. Originally from Yorkshire, many members of the Morkill family emigrated to Canada in the 19th century. A prominent member of the family - and potential owner of the present copy - was John William Morkill (1861-1932). A justice of the peace and councillor by occupation, Morkill was a natural and local history enthusiast in his spare time. Freeman 1357; Norman 603. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, covers panelled in blind, brown coated endpapers. Woodcut and engraved figures in the text. Publisher's advertisement leaf at rear. Gilt bright, spine ends and corners rubbed, foxing to endleaves and title page else contents clean: a very good copy.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom

Darwin, Charles. The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms with Observations on Their Habits. John Murray, London, 1881.

Price: US$3500.00 + shipping

Condition: Near Fine

Description: First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's original green cloth with titles stamped in gilt on the spine. Darkening to spine cloth and slight tear at head. Foxing to textblock edge, preliminary and terminal sheets. Previous owner name in pencil to front paste down. Darwin's final work, published shortly before his death in April, 1882.

Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.