Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$320.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Green Cloth. Gilt title on Spine. John Murray one line at tail. Vol I [3]+iv-viii+411p+32p [Ads April 1867. Cep,illus [43], Six line errata on page VI.Early owners name ink on fep E Crundall Edinburgh. Interior gutter pulling 1/2" cloth loss head.Corners fraryed. 1" cloth loss edges at head and Three short sections edges Front and rear boards have water spots. Interior very good with no real flaws. Vol II [3]+iv-viii+486p+[2] ads February 1868 Seven lines of errata on page viii. Inner gutter pulling Backstrip needs reglue 1/4" cloth loss head.Corners frayed. 3/4" cloth split at front edge. Moisture bubbles on front and rear board .Cep. True First edition limited to 1,500 copies. Bound by Edmonds & Remnants Lodon
Seller: Samuel Lasenby Bookseller, Corona del Mar, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: viii, 411 pages. Apparently mixed state, with one line London John Murray to foot of spine, one erratum, and no ads at rear. Edmonds & Remnants binder's ticket to rear pastedown. Considerable foxing to first three and final two leaves; faint penciling to black slate front endpapers. A presentable example in sound unrestored binding. Volume one of two only. 9 x 5.75 inches.
Seller: The Odd Book (ABAC, ILAB), Wolfville, NS, Canada
Price: US$515.31 + shipping
Condition: Poor
Description: Poor. Publishers cloth, fraying around edges of spine and chipping to the head of. Ex-library of the 'Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, Cambridge', with this bookplate to front pastedown. Missing all leaves preceding title page. Title page and contents pages are together pulling loose. A well used, shaken copy. First issue with 6 line errata. The first issue of 1500 sold out in a week in Jan 1869 and a further 1250 with corrections stated in the first issue errata lists corrected were issued. Illustrated.
Seller: Sapience Bookstore, Hexham, United Kingdom
DARWIN, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. London: John Murray, 1868.
Price: US$772.96 + shipping
Description: First edition. Two volumes. 8vo. xiv, 473, (1); x, 495, (1) pp. Contemporary half calf over dark blue cloth sides, all edges speckled red, a shadow on each of the front pastedowns showing faintly where a prior owner's bookplate has been removed. 43 illustrations in the text. Spines darkened and worn with a small loss to the head of volume I, the contents very good. Freeman, 877. The errata to the first volume has six lines as opposed to the four mentioned by Freeman, which would appear to be a not-unusual variant. The second volume has a seven line errata as called for. The errata of the second issue was quite distinct, with only one one line to the first volume and none to the second.
Seller: Bow Windows Bookshop (ABA, ILAB), Lewes, United Kingdom
Darwin Charles. The Variation of Animals anf Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$869.72 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: 2 Volume Set. 8vo. 1868. 1st Edition. ppviii, 411, 32 advts; viii, 486, 2 adverts. 43 figures in text (Vol 1). Rebound (c1980s) in three quarter leather with appropriate marbled paper to boards. New endpapers. Blind tooling to leather on boards. Raised bands to spine. Elaborate gilt decoration to spine bands and panels. Gilt title label. Contents clean, unmarked and free from foxing. A fine set
Seller: Goldcrestbooks, Hartlepool, United Kingdom
Price: US$953.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, 2 volumes, 1st edition, 2nd issue, 1868, letterpress illustrations, 32pp publisher's catalogue dated April 1867 at end of volume 1, 2pp publisher's list at end of volume 2. Original green cloth with gilt titles on the spines and blind-stamped design on all covers. Minor professional restoration apparent with new endpapers (matching original) and discreet spine reinforcement.Some light spotting at front and rear, pages in volume 2 mostly uncut. Ink name of a previous owner at top of ffep of volume 1. Slight foxing on endpapers only. Text otherwise shows just slight age toning, with no other marks or damage. Large 8vo (Freeman 878 Second issue copy with one-line errata to volume I and no errata to volume II), 411 + 32 p ad, 486 + 2 p ads pp.
Seller: Stanley Louis Remarkable Books, Saint Charles, IL, U.S.A.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: gilt lettering on spines, stickers to inside front boards, two line imprint at the base of the spines - it seems to be a second (or later) issue. volume 1 has 411 pgs, Volume 2 has 486 pgs, boards rubbed, corners bumped, Volume 2 has some bubbling along spine at front board DATE PUBLISHED: 1868 EDITION: FIRST ED
Seller: Princeton Antiques Bookshop, Atlantic City, NJ, U.S.A.
DARWIN, CHARLES. THE VARIATION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS UNDER DOMESTICATION. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$1136.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: London John Murray 1868, First Edition, Second Issue. 2 vols., 8vo. viii, 411, [1]; viii, 486 pp., plus 32 pages publisher's advertisements in Volume I dated April, 1868 and 2 pages publisher's advertisements in Volume II dated February, 1868. Text illustrations throughout. Original green cloth; a wonderful copy with a bit of spotting ONLY to the first few pages of each volume and a paper split to the inside rear gutter otherwise VERY CLEAN. Pages 129-144 signature a bit loose.
Seller: Barry's Books, San Antonio, TX, U.S.A.
Price: US$1200.00 + shipping
Description: Pp. viii, 411; viii, 486, 43 text woodcuts. Publisher's original blind-stamped green cloth with gilt-lettered spine, 8vo. This is the first edition, second issue of 'Variation of Animal and Plants' (Freeman 878). Imprint at base of spine in two lines on both volumes, there is single two-lines erratum at the end of the index and no errata lines in volume 2. No ads are present at the end of either volume. There are no ownership marks in this set of any kind. There is a faint crease to the front cover of volume 1 and minor bumps to the top rear outer corner of volume 1 and to the bottom front and rear outer corners of volume 2 (these tiny bumps are barely noticeable); the text blocks and original bindings of both volume are very bright and clean; a tight, very good copy.
Seller: Natural History Books, Iowa City, IA, U.S.A.
Darwin, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: First edition, second issue with two line errata in volume one, no ads bound in. Two volumes. viii, 411; viii, 486 pp. Hardcovers, bound in calf over marbled boards, rebacked preserving most of the original backstrips. The boards well rubbed along the edges. Foxing to the endpapers; text unmarked.
Seller: Moroccobound Fine Books, IOBA, Lewis Center, OH, U.S.A.
Price: US$1932.39 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: viii, 411; viii, 486pp, 43 text figures in volume one. Original fine half-calf brown polished bindings with marbled boards. Finely finished gilt dec. compartments and decoration. Red and green gilt lettered labels. No adverts bound-in. Some scattered foxing to the end-papers. Two volume first edition set both dated 1868 with a first issue Volume One and second issue Volume Two. Freeman F877.1 and F878.2 The first volume having the six line errata and volume two no errata. The first issue of 1500 sold out in a week in Jan 1869 and a further 1250 with corrections stated in the first issue errata lists corrected were issued. The different issues have identical title pages. PLEASE EMAIL FOR PHOTOS Size: 8vo
Seller: THOMAS RARE BOOKS, Yaxley, SUFFOLK, United Kingdom
Charles Darwin. The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. John Murray, 1868.
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first issue of Darwin's sequel to On the Origin of Species and featuring his first published use of the term "survival of the fittest." Bound in the original, unrestored cloth. First issue points include the one line publisher's imprint at the spine heels, 5 errata on 6 lines in Vol. I, and 9 errata on 7 lines in Vol. II. Complete with 32 pages of ads dated April 1867 at rear of vol. I, 2 pages of ads dated February 1868 at rear of vol. II (as issued) and 43 in-text wood engravings. London: John Murray, 1868. Publisher's original green cloth, ruled in blind with the spines lettered in gilt; pp. viii, 411, [1] + 32 ads; viii, 486 + [2 ads]. Both volumes in very good condition. Bindings remain sturdy, although a touch overopened at points. Light shelfwear to boards with minor fraying to corners and spine tips, with small piece of cloth missing from the heel of vol. 2. Covers a bit bowed. Owner's bookplate to front pastedowns, small closed tear to the last pages of vol. 2, a handful of minor smudges, else internally quite clean and fine. A presentable copy.
Seller: Kevin Sell, The Rare Book Sleuth, IOBA, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A.
Price: US$2238.50 + shipping
Description: First edition, second issue, 2 volumes, 8vo., viii, 411, [1], 32; viii, 486, [2] pp., with publisher's lists at the end of each vol., original green cloth gilt, illustrated throughout, tiny hole to spine vol. ii affecting the 's' of 'domestication', foxing to endpapers, a very good set. Featuring the first occurrence of the phrase 'survival of the fittest'. Originally intended as the first two chapters in a larger work on the origin of the species (he viewed the book of that name as simply an abstract of a more substantial project), these were the only ones published in his lifetime. With detailed facts and lengthy discussion, the work includes what Darwin believed to be new ideas of pangenesis, but the topics of sexual selection and human evolution were excluded from these already thick volumes. Despite their size, the works sold briskly (Desmond & Moore, Darwin (London: 1991), p.550). After running through the first issue in just a week (Freeman, p.122), John Murray produced a second issue, with several variations between the two. In the first, the imprint is printed on a single line on the spine, while it is broken on to two lines in the second as here. Numerous errata also appear in the first issue, most of which were corrected in the second. A second edition of 1875 bears even greater alterations to the text, as well as being reduced in size to a crown octavo. Freeman, 877.
Seller: Shapero Rare Books, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$2238.50 + shipping
Description: First edition, second issue, 2 vols., 8vo., viii, 411, [1], 32; viii, 486, [2]pp., with publisher's lists at the end of each vol., original green cloth gilt, illustrated throughout, neat restoration to extremities, a very good set. Featuring the first occurrence of the phrase 'survival of the fittest'. Originally intended as the first two chapters in a larger work on the origin of the species (he viewed the book of that name as simply an abstract of a more substantial project), these were the only ones published in his lifetime. With detailed facts and lengthy discussion, the work includes what Darwin believed to be new ideas of pangenesis, but the topics of sexual selection and human evolution were excluded from these already thick volumes. Despite their size, the works sold briskly (Desmond & Moore, Darwin (London: 1991), p.550). After running through the first issue in just a week (Freeman, p.122), John Murray produced a second issue, with several variations between the two. In the first, the imprint is printed on a single line on the spine, while it is broken on to two lines in the second as here. Numerous errata also appear in the first issue, most of which were corrected in the second. A second edition of 1875 bears even greater alterations to the text, as well as being reduced in size to a crown octavo. Freeman, 877.
Seller: Shapero Rare Books, London, United Kingdom
Darwin, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. London: John Murray, 1868.
Price: US$2250.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Two volumes. First edition, first issue. One of 1500 copies. Bound in three-quarter contemporary brown calf over red marbled boards, spines lettered and decorated in gilt, all edges marbled, marbled endpapers. A very good set with some wear and rubbing along edges and spines, former owner bookplate to front pastedowns, some foxing to the first few leaves, otherwise clean. Freeman 878.
Seller: B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Charles Darwin. The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. London: John Murray, 1868.
Price: US$2500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: 1st issue with 5-line errata in volume I and 7-line errata in volume II 2 volumes, Octavo, 1st edition, 1st issue, London: John Murray, 1868. This remarkable work by Darwin contains the first occurrence of the phrase "survival of the fittest" originally coined by Herbert Spencer in Principles of Biology (1864). Wood-engraved illustrations, advertisement leaf at end of volume II, bound without the 32 pp. advertisements at end of volume I. Contemporary tan half calf, spines with green and brown labels and splendid gilt decoration, a superb clean copy.
Seller: Timeless Tales Rare Books, Acton, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$2576.53 + shipping
Description: First edition, second issue, of the first of Darwin's works to use the famous evolutionary phrase, preceding by a year its first appearance in Origin of Species (fifth edition, 1869). "Survival of the fittest" was coined by the philosopher and sociologist Herbert Spencer on reading Origin, and remains the most succinct summary of Darwin's theory of natural selection. Variation under Domestication represents "the first two chapters of the projected 'big book' on the origin of species of which Origin was an abstract; this was the only section of the 'big book' published during Darwin's lifetime" (Norman). It was "intended to provide overwhelming evidence for the ubiquity of variation, although [it] would also incidentally answer Lyell and Gray, who maintained that variations had not occurred purely by chance but were providentially directed. Darwin showed that breeders indeed selected from a vast array of minute random variations. He gave numerous instances of the causes of variability, including the direct effect of the conditions of life, reversion, the effects of use and disuse, saltation, prepotency, and correlated growth. Variation also addressed a key criticism of Origin: that it lacked an adequate understanding of inheritance" (ODNB). As such Variation is a full statement of the facts on which the theories of Origin were based, leaving aside an account of human evolution for Descent of Man (1871). This is the only Darwin title published by Murray to appear in the larger format of demy octavo. The first issue was published on 30 January and sold out quickly; the second, with substantial textual variations, was published in a run of 1,250 copies in February and is distinguished by a single erratum in volume one and no errata in volume two. Freeman 878; Norman 597 (second issue). Two volumes, demy octavo. Original green cloth, spines lettered and decorated in gilt, covers panelled in blind, black coated endpapers. With 43 woodcuts in text. Vol. 1 with 32 pp. advertisements dated April 1868, vol. 2 with 2 pp. advertisements dated February 1868. Extremities rubbed, spine ends and corners a little worn, covers a little marked and cockled, cords sometimes visible but holding firm, occasional neat pencil marginal annotations demonstrating close reading, else contents clean and crisp: a very good set.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Darwin, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$2625.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first issue. Demy octavo (8 11/16" x 5 9/16", 220mm x 142mm). [Full collation available.] Bound in the publisher's green blocked cloth. Spines gilt. Midnight-blue-coated end-papers. Both volumes cocked, and a little bowed and shaken. Foxing to the preliminaries of each volume. Binder's ticket (Edmonds & Remnants, London) to the rear paste-down of vol. I and seller's ticket (Sackett & Edmonds) to the front paste-down of vol. II. With some early pencil marginalia (mostly checks and side-lining, but with some comments or corrections towards the end of vol. II), and a very little pencil underlining. A very good set, with bright gilt and clean text-blocks. Although the Descent and the Origin are the works for which Darwin (1809-1882) is best-known, his "lesser" works are opportunities to the process by which he arrived at his grander theories. Just as Einstein's theory of special relativity is a preliminary step to the theory of general relativity, so too is Darwin's theory of natural selection preceded by a theory of artificial selection, i.e., breeding. The large abstract notion of natural selection, which had been laid out in the 1859 On the Origin of Species, could be clarified by describing the practice of selective breeding, whose history in Britain had long been described in manuals of husbandry. Variation is Darwin's longest work, and was proportionally unpopular. In it he lays out his theory of pangenesis as a mechanism of heredity, whereby each part of the body contributes particles -- "gemmules" -- to the gonads, allowing a body's changes over time to contribute traits to offspring. This was effectively disproven by Mendelian "particulate" (i.e., genetic) heredity. The Variation also contains the first appearance in Darwin's writing of the (borrowed) phrase "survival of the fittest." The first edition had two issues, with a great many changes in typesetting. The distinguishing points of the first issue, as here, are: vol. I, p. vi, 5 lines of errata; vol. II, p. viii, seven lines of errata; and a one-line imprint gilt to the tail of each spine. Freeman 877.1, 2.
Seller: Arader Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$2834.18 + shipping
Description: Complete in 2 volumes. First edition, first issue. Collation, viii, 411pp, 32pp ads, dated April 1867, viii, 486pp, 2pp, ads, February, 1868, with 1-line publisher's imprint on cloth at base of spines, 5 lines of errata in vol. I and 7 in vol. II, and 43 in-text wood engravings. Bound in original publishers green cloth, blind stamped tooling, gilt lettering. At some time both volumes has been repaired. Cloth lightly rubbed, some minor abrasion wear, minor light rippling, lightly bumped. Both bindings in good clean firm condition. Internally, some light dust marking. Pages in good clean condition. Generally a very nice set. F Size: 8vo
Seller: George Jeffery Books, HERTFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom
DARWIN, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$3000.00 + shipping
Description: With several text illustrations. Original publisher's green cloth, a few small bumps, minor wear to boards; approximately 2 inches of the top of the fly-leaf of both volumes cut out. Generally a very nice set, uncut, with the presentation bookplate of the University of Southern California Messrs. Milton and Stanley Slotkin in each volume, ownership signature on the title to Volume II. First edition, first issue of Darwin's great contribution to the descent theory, and the foundation on which all later racial-biological research was based. This work expands in detail material that Darwin had intended to include in his Origin. The most novel element in the work is Darwin's hypothesis of pangenesis, by which he attempts to explain hereditary resemblance, inheritance of acquired characteristics, atavism and regeneration. Although proven invalid, this theory was nevertheless of prime importance in the history of genetics. "Darwin carried out numerous investigations with pigeons and various plants. He recognized continuous and discontinuous variation; he concluded that crossing tends to keep populations uniform" (G&M).
Seller: B & L Rootenberg Rare Books, ABAA, Sherman Oaks, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$3500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: 2 volumes octavo (23 cm). First issue points: 5 errata on 6 lines in Vol. I, and 9 errata on 7 lines in Vol. II. LACKS ADS, apparently discarded when bound by Henry Southeran. Bound in full tan polished calf, double-ruled in gilt; six-compartment spine tooled in blind and gilt, with black title labels. Marbled edges and endleaves. Ticket of Henry Southeran. A very handsome set! Darwin's sequel to the Origin of Species, including his first use of the term "survival of the fittest," and his much-admired essay on pigeons.
Seller: Rodger Friedman Rare Book Studio, ABAA, Tuxedo, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$4186.85 + shipping
Description: First edition, first issue, of the first of Darwin's works to use the famous evolutionary phrase, preceding by a year its first appearance in Origin of Species (fifth edition, 1869). "Survival of the fittest" was coined by the philosopher and sociologist Herbert Spencer on reading Origin, and remains the most succinct summary of Darwin's theory of natural selection. Variation under Domestication represents "the first two chapters of the projected 'big book' on the origin of species of which Origin was an abstract; this was the only section of the 'big book' published during Darwin's lifetime" (Norman). It was "intended to provide overwhelming evidence for the ubiquity of variation, although [it] would also incidentally answer Lyell and Gray, who maintained that variations had not occurred purely by chance but were providentially directed. Darwin showed that breeders indeed selected from a vast array of minute random variations. He gave numerous instances of the causes of variability, including the direct effect of the conditions of life, reversion, the effects of use and disuse, saltation, prepotency, and correlated growth. Variation also addressed a key criticism of Origin: that it lacked an adequate understanding of inheritance" (ODNB). As such, Variation is a full statement of the facts on which the theories of Origin were based, leaving aside an account of human evolution for Descent of Man (1871). This is the only Darwin title published by Murray to appear in the larger format of demy octavo. The first issue was published in a run of 1,500 copies, for which this copy has all the relevant points: five errata in volume one, nine errata on seven lines in volume two, and the spine imprint on one line. The second issue, with substantial textual variations, was published in a run of 1,250 copies in February and is distinguished by a single erratum in volume one, no errata in volume two, and a two-line imprint on the spine. Provenance: with the ink ownership signature of Frederick Adams Woods (1873-1939) on both title pages. Woods was a scientist who worked on genetics and human heredity and is often referred to as "the American Galton". Freeman 877; Garrison-Morton 224.1; Norman 597. Two volumes, demy octavo. Original green cloth, spines lettered and decorated in gilt, covers panelled in blind, dark green coated endpapers. With 43 woodcuts in text. Vol. I with 32 pp. publisher's advertisements dated April 1867, vol. II with 2 pp. advertisements dated February 1868. Edmonds & Remnants binder's ticket on rear pastedown of vol. I, small ink annotation dated London 1899 on rear free endpaper recto of vol. II. Extremities gently worn and bumped, a few splits to cloth at spine ends otherwise bright and unmarked, inner hinges tender but holding firm, contents lightly foxed in places, with some pencil annotations in vol. II, first few leaves and index at rear of same a little creased and nicked: a very good copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
DARWIN, CHARLES. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$4200.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE IN ORIGINAL CLOTH of Darwin's sequel to the Origin of Species, including his first use of the term "survival of the fittest". "The Variation was a full statement of the facts on which the theories of the Origin were based. "After the Origin's publication Darwin embarked on two broad lines of research: botanical experiments, and studies of variation, sexual selection, and emotional expressions in humans and mammals. In 1860 he began recycling the early, as yet unpublished, chapters of 'Natural selection' and studying the osteology of domestic pigeons, ducks, and geese for a book on how breeders and horticulturists modify species. This was The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication (1868). Its two volumes were intended to provide overwhelming evidence for the ubiquity of variation, although they would also incidentally answer Lyell and Gray, who maintained that variations had not occurred purely by chance but were providentially directed. Darwin showed that breeders indeed selected from a vast array of minute random variations. He gave numerous instances of the causes of variability, including the direct effect of the conditions of life, reversion, the effects of use and disuse, saltation, prepotency, and correlated growth. "The Variation also addressed a key criticism of the Origin of Species: that it lacked an adequate understanding of inheritance. Darwin's 'provisional hypothesis of pangenesis' was constructed to explain how heritable traits were passed from parents to offspring. He supposed that each part of a parent organism throws off minute particles, or 'gemmules', which circulate in the body and collect in the sexual organs to be transmitted in reproduction. Because gemmules are received from two parents, the offspring develop to resemble them both more or less. 'The child, strictly speaking, does not grow into the man, but includes germs which slowly and successively become developed and form the man' (Darwin, Variation). "The term 'survival of the fittest' (borrowed at Wallace's insistence from Herbert Spencer's 1866 Principles of Biology) first appeared in the Variation. It was a partial substitute for Darwin's more anthropomorphic 'natural selection', which many critics took to imply the existence of a 'selector'. Mistaking Darwin's metaphor, they concluded that intelligence lay as much behind nature's selecting as behind a pigeon fancier's. Nevertheless Darwin defended his use of 'natural selection' while conceding that he had personified it too much" (Dictionary of National Biography). First issue: with 1-line publisher's imprint on cloth at base of spines, 5 lines of errata in vol. I and 7 in vol. II. Complete with 32 pages of ads dated April 1867 at rear of vol. I, 2 pages of ads dated February 1868 at rear of vol. II (as issued) and 43 in-text wood engravings. London: John Murray, 1868. Octavo, original cloth. Two volumes. Handsome bookplate and small bookseller's (Foyle's) sticker on front pastedown of each volume and neat owner signature in pencil on flyleaves. A little foxing to flyleaf and title of volume 2, otherwise text generally clean. Cloth with only a little rubbing and a few mild spots of soiling. Volume 1 possibly recased (spine cloth tight against text block). Spine gilt exceptionally bright. A handsome copy in original cloth of an essential Darwin text.
Seller: Manhattan Rare Book Company, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Darwin, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, first issue; one of 1,500 copies. Two volumes, bound in publisher's original green cloth decoratively ruled in blind with spine lettered in gilt. viii, 411 pp. + 32pp [first issue ads, dated April, 1867]; viii, 486 pp. + [2]pp [first issue ads, dated February 1868]; with five lines errata in volume 1 and 7 lines errata in volume II. .Near Fine with light soiling, light edge wear, light rubbing and light bubbling to cloth. Inner hinges repaired, former owner name to title pages, and bookseller ticket to rear pastedowns. Features the first appearance of the iconic Darwinian phrase "survival of the fittest."
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
DARWIN, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. John Murray, 1868.
Price: US$7085.45 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing, first issue with vol i - 32pp ads dated April 1867 and five errata on 6 lines on pvi and vol ii with single advertisement dated February 1868 to rear and 9 errata on 7 lines on pviii. Complete in two volumes housed in a bespoke quarter green morocco gilt clamshell case with raised bands to spine. A very good+/near fine set. Clean boards with light wear to extremities. Bright gilt. No marks to boards of vol i & a couple of small scuffs & a few small bubbles to cloth on vol ii; Tiny Victorian booksellers label to endpaper "Howell & Day, New Street, Birmingham". Internally complete and clean. Old rubbed out pencil name to rear of endpaper in vol i and a few spots to blank endpapers only. No inscriptions. Original black endpapers uncracked on volume i and cracking to volume ii - textblock still very tight and firm. A much better than usual copy of this important natural history work. 1500 copies of the first issue printing. A well received expansion on his theories of "variation under domestication" from the first two Chapters of "Origin of Species" Notable for Darwin's theory on heredity which he calls pangensis and the first appearance of the Darwinian phrase the "Survival of the fittest"
Seller: Julian Roberts Fine Books ABA ILAB PBFA, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Darwin, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Editions, First Printings of this two volume set. Both books are complete with the First Issue points. Vol. I with 32p. advertisements is dated April 1867 and vol. II with single advertisement leaf at end is dated February 1868. The erratas are present in each book. The books are bound in the original cloth with minor wear to the edges. The pages are clean with matching bookplates in each book of Kenneth K. Mackenzie, Horticultural Society of New York. A lovely copy with custom acetate covers for each book for preservation. First Edition, First Issue,with 5 errata on 6 lines in Vol. I, and 9 errata on 7 lines in Vol. II. A wonderful copy. The books are in excellent condition and are bound in the publisher's green cloth. The bindings are tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the panels. The pages are clean and the endpapers are original. A beautiful copy of this complete 2 volume set housed in a custom clamshell slipcase. Trades and offers considered.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Darwin, Charles. The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. John Murray, London, 1868.
Price: US$12500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Issue,with 5 errata on 6 lines in Vol. I, and 9 errata on 7 lines in Vol. II. A wonderful copy. The books are in excellent condition and are bound in the publisher's green cloth. The bindings are tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the panels. The pages are clean and the endpapers are original. A beautiful copy of this complete 2 volume set housed in a custom clamshell slipcase. Trades and offers considered.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.