On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection,: or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.

New York: D. Appleton and Company,, 1860. Retaining the controversial "whale-bear" theory First US edition, first issue, of "the most influential scientific work of the 19th century" (Horblit) and "certainly the most important biological book ever written" (Freeman), in which Darwin explained his concept of evolutionary adaptation through natural selection, which would become the foundation of modern evolutionary theory. The text is that of the first edition published in London the previous year. The first four issues of the first US edition are notable for being the only editions of the Origin, save the first British edition in 1859, to contain Darwin's "whale-bear" theory, in which he speculated that a bear scooping insects from the water may evolve into a whale-like creature. The hypothesis was seen as absurd at the time and was seized upon by Darwin's critics to ridicule and criticize both the scientist and his evolutionary theory. It was removed from the second UK edition onwards on the advice of Charles Lyell and Richard Owen; however, Darwin insisted that he had "always regretted that I followed this advice, for I still think the view quite reasonable... I still maintain that there is no special difficulty in a bear's mouth being enlarged to any degree useful to its changing habits" (Freeman, Companion, p. 301). Aside from the US issues, the whale-bear story did not appear again until the end of copyright. This copy contains extensive contemporary pencil annotations to endleaves and contents demonstrating close reading of the text, along with charming marginal pencil drawings of birds and two pages of notes laid in, referencing the works of naturalists such as Richard Owen and Louis Agassiz. Octavo. Original brown pebble-grain publisher's cloth, spine lettered in gilt and ruled in blind, covers framed with centrepiece in blind, brown coated endpapers. Folding chart (formerly bound opposite p. 108, sometime re-guarded facing half-title). Spine ends discreetly restored, wear to corners, spine panel unfaded and cloth presenting nicely, inner hinges neatly repaired, contents foxed, a couple of gatherings proud, cords occasionally visible but book block remaining firm: a very good copy. Freeman 377. R. B. Freeman, Charles Darwin: A Companion, 1978.