JOURNAL OF RESEARCHES INTO THE NATURAL HISTORY AND GEOLOGY of the Countries Visited During THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE ROUND THE WORLD

London: Printed by John Murray, 1845. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 2nd Edition. RARE LIMITED EDITION of a CELEBRATED, IMPORTANT & UNCOMMON EARLY EDITION A NATURALIST'S VOYAGE in a FINE LEATHER BINDING JOURNAL OF RESEARCHES INTO THE NATURAL HISTORY AND GEOLOGY of the Countries Visited During THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE ROUND THE WORLD by CHARLES DARWIN Second Edition, Corrected, With Additions LONDON: Printed by John Murray. 1845, Albemarle Street (Published date 1845). Rare Second edition Corrected with Additions - stated on the title page. 8vo. 7" x 5" inches (LxB). Pp. viii, [2], 519, [1, ads] pages, with in-text wood engraved illustrations. Preface dated June 1845. A rare book bound in later Fine original 3/4 dark brown calf leather binding over marbled boards, attractive gilt decorated gilt ruled spine with 4 raised bands & a red gilt lettered morocco label in the second compartment, handsomely bound at a later date to style. Darwin added a fulsome dedication to Lyell and a considerable amount of new material based on his more recent research, including the new identifications of many of his Beagle specimens. Importantly, Darwin also expanded the sections about the indigenous Fuegians (as the peoples of Tierra del Fuego were called) - material he had left out in the first edition. The Journal of researches was marketed as literature for all classes and several important woodcuts were added, mostly from Coral reefs and Volcanic islands. It was quickly established as an outstanding piece of travel writing with the order of geology and natural history reversed in the title, perhaps reflecting Darwin's shift of interest since 1839. Murray must have been pleased that he had shrewdly secured the copyright from Darwin for £150 Knowing today that Darwin had already written out a summary of his theory of evolution in the Essay of 1844 and that within fifteen years he would publish the Origin, it is possible now to read his maturing theory's influence on the 1845 edition of Journal of researches. The success of the Journal encouraged John Murray to offer Darwin the chance to publish a second edition. Darwin then worked on the second edition of the Journal, which eventually appeared in August 1845 in John Murray's popular 'Home and Colonial Library'. This is one of the rarer issues of Darwin's geological results from the Beagle voyage. The first American edition (Harper's 1846) was based on this edition. Freeman 14; Sabin 18647; Ferguson 4025. The Journal of researches has been continuously in print since 1845 and is second only to the Origin as Darwin's most widely read book. A rare book in later Fine original 3/4 dark brown calf leather binding over marbled boards, no wear/tear, to covers, spine, ends & corners, pages with sporadic age toning soiling, are clean & bright ), the binding is tight & intact. The leather is smooth & supple to the touch. Note:Small 1" inch rectangular ink stamps on the title & a couple of other pages. .