Beschreibung:

DARWIN, Charles Robert (1809-1882). The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs: being the first part of the Geology of the Voyage of the Beagle. London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1842. First edition of Darwin's most important geological work. He thought out his theory of coral formation on the west coast of South America before ever seeing a coral reef. At the end of April 1836 he wrote to Caroline Darwin: 'The subject of coral formation has for the last half year, been a point of particular interest to me. I hope to be able to put some of the facts in a more simple & connected point of view, than that in which they have hitherto been considered. The idea of a lagoon island, 30 miles in diameter being based on a submarine crater of equal dimensions, has always appeared to me a monstrous hypothesis' ( Darwin Correspondence Project 301 ). In place of the unseen volcanic craters conjectured by the geologist Charles Lyell, Darwin substituted land subsidence or elevation, in effect a pioneering global plate tectonic theory. Freeman 271; Norman 587. Octavo (222 x 142mm). Half-title, 3 folding engraved maps, of which 2 hand-coloured in outline, 6 woodblocks in text. 16pp. of ads, dated May 1842, inserted at end (frontispiece map trimmed at western edge just into printed border, folding maps lightly creased along vertical folds, faint browning and offsetting to plates affecting title and leaves at end, a few leaves slightly dog-eared). Original blue cloth, covers blind-stamped, spine titled and priced in gilt (edges of covers fractionally faded, extremities lightly rubbed with small losses at head and foot of spine). Provenance : Earl of Enniskillen (armorial bookplate) – Frederick du Cane Godman (bookplate).