DARWIN, Charles (1809–1882), and others. The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836. London, Smith, Elder & Co., [1838-]1840-1843. "The five years of the voyage [of the Beagle] were the most important event in Darwin’s intellectual life and in the history of biological science" (DSB). First edition, parts and volumes issue, complete with all the half and fly titles, lists of plates, etc. This was the first publication resulting from the Beagle voyage, and it was a massive undertaking. Darwin edited the work, which appeared in five parts made up of nineteen numbers, between February 1838 and October 1843. "Darwin contributed a geological introduction to Part I, the Fossil Mammalia (pp. 3-12), and a geographical introduction to Part II, the Mammalia (pp. i-iv). He also contributed notices of habits and ranges throughout the text of Mammalia and Birds, and there are frequent notes, mostly from his labels, in the text of the Fish and the Reptiles’ (Freeman, p 26). The variation of finches between islands in the Galapagos, the fossil remains of extinct animals on the coast of South America, the geological evidence of upheaval and subsidence, gave Darwin the source material which resulted in the theory of natural selection and inspired The Origin of Species. Several artists were involved in preparing the plates, notably John and Elizabeth Gould, B.W. Hawkins and G.R. Waterhouse. Anker 173; Freeman 9; Nissen ZBI 1391 and IVB 384. Comprises: Part 1. Richard Owen's Fossil Mammalia with 32 lithographed plates; Part 2. G.R. Waterhouse's Mammalia with introduction by Darwin and 32 hand-colored lithographed plates plus three steel-engraved plates (without errata slip sometimes found pasted on p.ix; Part 3. John Gould and G.R. Gray's Birds with 50 hand-colored lithographed plates; Part 4. Leonard Jenyns's Fish with 29 lithographed plates; Part 5. Thomas Bell's Reptiles with 20 lithographed plates. Five parts bound in three volumes, quarto (308 x 242mm). With 166 plates, 82 of which are hand-colored, a few folding, and three steel-engraved; the rest lithographed (some half-titles and plate lists are bound out of sequence; some foxing/toning to plates and occasionally to text; repaired tear through title of part 2, about 20 leaves in part 1 with discreet repairs to blank margins, blank corner of plate 26 in part 1 repaired, blank guard in part 4 detached and laid in). Modern straight-grained morocco gilt, spines with gilt compartments and red morocco labels. Provenance: Royal Association for Natural Science of the Dutch East-Indies (contemporary Dutch inkstamps to some titles and half-titles; recorded in their 1884 catalogue) – Batavian Society for the Arts and Sciences (pre-1910 stamps on some titles).
DARWIN, Charles (1809–1882), and others. The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836. London, Smith, Elder & Co., [1838-]1840-1843. "The five years of the voyage [of the Beagle] were the most important event in Darwin’s intellectual life and in the history of biological science" (DSB). First edition, parts and volumes issue, complete with all the half and fly titles, lists of plates, etc. This was the first publication resulting from the Beagle voyage, and it was a massive undertaking. Darwin edited the work, which appeared in five parts made up of nineteen numbers, between February 1838 and October 1843. "Darwin contributed a geological introduction to Part I, the Fossil Mammalia (pp. 3-12), and a geographical introduction to Part II, the Mammalia (pp. i-iv). He also contributed notices of habits and ranges throughout the text of Mammalia and Birds, and there are frequent notes, mostly from his labels, in the text of the Fish and the Reptiles’ (Freeman, p 26). The variation of finches between islands in the Galapagos, the fossil remains of extinct animals on the coast of South America, the geological evidence of upheaval and subsidence, gave Darwin the source material which resulted in the theory of natural selection and inspired The Origin of Species. Several artists were involved in preparing the plates, notably John and Elizabeth Gould, B.W. Hawkins and G.R. Waterhouse. Anker 173; Freeman 9; Nissen ZBI 1391 and IVB 384. Comprises: Part 1. Richard Owen's Fossil Mammalia with 32 lithographed plates; Part 2. G.R. Waterhouse's Mammalia with introduction by Darwin and 32 hand-colored lithographed plates plus three steel-engraved plates (without errata slip sometimes found pasted on p.ix; Part 3. John Gould and G.R. Gray's Birds with 50 hand-colored lithographed plates; Part 4. Leonard Jenyns's Fish with 29 lithographed plates; Part 5. Thomas Bell's Reptiles with 20 lithographed plates. Five parts bound in three volumes, quarto (308 x 242mm). With 166 plates, 82 of which are hand-colored, a few folding, and three steel-engraved; the rest lithographed (some half-titles and plate lists are bound out of sequence; some foxing/toning to plates and occasionally to text; repaired tear through title of part 2, about 20 leaves in part 1 with discreet repairs to blank margins, blank corner of plate 26 in part 1 repaired, blank guard in part 4 detached and laid in). Modern straight-grained morocco gilt, spines with gilt compartments and red morocco labels. Provenance: Royal Association for Natural Science of the Dutch East-Indies (contemporary Dutch inkstamps to some titles and half-titles; recorded in their 1884 catalogue) – Batavian Society for the Arts and Sciences (pre-1910 stamps on some titles).
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