Lot 80: CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN (1809-1882, EDITOR)

The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S Beagle... During the Years 1832 to 1836. London: Stewart and Murray for Smith, Elder & Co., 1839-1843. 5 parts in 3 volumes, 4° (318 x 252mm), comprising:

Vol. I. [Part i] SIR RICHARD OWEN (1804-1892). 'Fossil Mammalia'. 32 lithographic plates, one folding, 2 double-page by and after G. Scharf, printed by C. Hullmandel. Half-title--[Part ii] GEORGE ROBERT WATERHOUSE (1810-1888). 'Mammalia'. 32 hand-coloured lithographic plates and 3 engraved plates by J. Swaine after G.R. Waterhouse and C.M. Curtis. Cancellans and cancellandum half-titles, both giving the authors' names, the former adding 'Illustrated with numerous coloured engravings', cancellans title giving authors' names and with errata slip tipped onto verso. (Quires a2, \Kc\k1 and b2, 2\Kc\k1 bound in reverse order.)

Vol. II. [Part iii] JOHN GOULD (1804-1881) [and GEORGE ROBERT GRAY (1808-1872)]. 'Birds'. 50 hand-coloured lithographic plates heightened with gum arabic by Elizabeth Gould after John Gould. Half-title. (?A few plates misbound.)

Vol. III. [Part iv] LEONARD JENYNS [later BLOMEFIELD] (1800-1893). 'Fish'. 29 lithographic plates by and after Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. Half-title. Errata printed on Z1v [as per Norman, Freeman calling for a tipped-on slip]--[Part v] THOMAS BELL (1792-1880). 'Reptilia'. 20 lithographic plates by and after Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. Half-title.

(Occasional light spotting, one plate torn on folds, double-page plates with short, neatly-repaired tears, half-titles ?misbound after titles, one plate slightly creased.) Original green cloth [Freeman binding variant d], boards blocked in blind, spine lettered in gilt. (Lightly rubbed, board-edges and corners bumped, small chips and tears on spines, hinges reinforced, endpapers replaced). Provenance: Hill Library, Saint Paul (perforated stamps and deaccession inkstamps on margin of titles of 3 parts, a few leaves or plates with marginal inkstamps and perforated stamps, traces of erased pressmarks on spines, occasional pencilled annotations).

FIRST EDITION IN BOOK FORM, 3-VOLUME ISSUE. A RARE SET IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH OF 'THIS SUMPTUOUS WORK' (Freeman). The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S Beagle was originally published in 19 numbers between February 1838 and October 1843 and includes several contributions by Darwin. Apart from the geological introductions to the first and second parts, 'he also contributed notices of habits and ranges throughout the text of Mammalia and Reptiles' (Freeman). The third part, John Gould's 'Birds', was completed by George Robert Gray (with Darwin's assistance) after the author's departure for Australia in 1838. Of all Gould's works, 'this volume is thought to be the only one in which all the lithographs are entirely the work of Mr. and Mrs. Gould' (Jackson Bird Illustrators p.45).

Freeman distinguishes five publishers' bindings (the parts issue in wrappers; a five-volume issue bound in either cloth or half russia; a three-volume issue bound in either cloth or half russia), and states that the three-volume issue 'was, presumably, later than that in five', which would appear to be confirmed by the part iv errata printed on Z1v, rather than borne on a letterpress slip tipped onto Z1v (as the part ii errata are).

FIVE- OR THREE-VOLUME SETS IN THE PUBLISHERS' CLOTH ARE VERY RARE AT AUCTION; only the University of Chicago set is recorded at auction by ABPC since 1975. Anker 173 (part iii); Freeman 9; Nissen ZBI 1391; Norman 586. (3)

No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.