The Descent of Man

John Murray, Albemarle Street, London, 1871. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. First edition, 1st issue. London: John Murray, 1871, 1871. 2 volumes, octavo. Original green cloth, titles to spines gilt, sides with panels blocked in blind, blue coated end papers. The covers are in very good condition. Gilt nice and bright. There is scuffing to the covers and the corners are a bit bumped. The bindings are very tight and square. Internally both volumes are very good. Gutters of vol.1 have been repaired. Previous owners' name and initial on front free end paper and half-title page of vol. 1, on front free end paper of vol.2. Some foxing to first and last few leaves of each volume, but the text pages are clean and bright throughout. The original adverts are complete and dated January 1871. Some scuffing to front paste-down of vol.2. Cloth very lightly rubbed. Engravings throughout. First edition, first issue with the errata on the verso of the title leaf of vol. II. Here the word "evolution" appears for the first time in any of Darwin's works, preceding its appearance in the sixth edition of The Origin of Species the following year. Darwin had hoped that one of his supporters might tackle the thorny question of human evolution, but was forced to face the logic of his own theory himself. Darwin deviated from his ostensible subject of mankind to describe sexual selection in the animal kingdom, enabling him to answer those who saw peacock tails as an expression of divine aesthetics. Darwin also set out a definite family tree for humans, tracing their affinity with the Old World monkeys, and laid out his views on the evolutionary origins of morality and religion. "The Descent, understood by Darwin as a sequel to the Origin, was written with a maturity and depth of learning that marked Darwin's status as an "élite gentleman of science" (ODNB). Housed in a custom-made collectors slipcase. Quite uncommon in the true first issue.