ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

A very early issuance and only the third edition (seventh thousand of the title, with important additions and corrections] of Darwin's monumental work. This edition is printed in the same format and binding as the first edition, and includes "An Historical Sketch of the Recent Progress of Opinion on the Origin of Species" in which Darwin acknowledges his fellow scientists as regards the theory of evolution, as well as a table of corrections to the first and second editions. Two-thousand copies only were printed and issued in April 1861. Folding lithographed diagram by W. West. Quarto in 12's (7 3/4" x 5 7/8", 193mm x 124mm), publisher's original green cloth, gilt decorated on the spine and blocked in blind on the covers, salmon glazed paper end-leaves with the binders Edmonds & Remnants ticket on the rear paste-down. Housed in a handsome morocco labeled slipcase with chemise. i-v vi-xix, 538, [2] ads. and with one folding plate. A very fresh and clean copy, fine and very bright both internally and externally with only very light evidence of age or use. The end-leaves in excellent condition and unusually clean, the hinges strong and pleasing and without refurbishment, a slight bit of rubbing only at the extremities. An especially pleasing copy, unusually well preserved. One of the best we have seen.