I have here for sale a rare and important book by CHARLES DARWIN, author of the Origin of the Species. The book is entitled THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES BY WHICH ORCHIDS ARE FERTILISED BY INSECTS by Charles Darwin.  It is a second edition, fourth thousand published in 1888 by John Murray, London.  38 b/w illustrations throughout the text.  The book, first published in 1862, was his first detailed demonstration of the power of natural selection, and explained how complex ecological relationships resulted in the co-evolution of orchids and insects. The view has been expressed that the book led directly or indirectly to all modern work on co-evolution and the evolution of extreme specialisation. It influenced botanists, and revived interest in the neglected idea that insects played a part in pollinating flowers. It opened up the new study areas of pollination research and reproductive ecology, directly related to Darwin's ideas on evolution, and supported his view that natural selection led to a variety of forms through the important benefits achieved by cross-fertilisation. 

Dark green hardboards with blind stamped frame and with gilt lettering on the spine.  Book is in fair condition with chips to head and tail of spine and wear to corners.  Evidence on the spine where stickers have been removed.  Brown endpapers but the front free one is missing.  Evidence on the front pastedown of white sticker (perhaps library label, but no other evidence in the book of it being a library copy.  Binding generally a little loose with some sections towards the rear of the book very loose.  Index and publisher's catalogue dated July 1887 at the back of the book.  300 + 32 pages.  19 x 13 cm.

We have over 2000 items in our Ebay shop on a wide range of subjects, so please feel free to have a browse and see if anything else takes your fancy.

Postage will be by Air Mail outside of UK.  If you buy more than one item then the postage cost falls for the second and further items as I will put them into one parcel - so you save money. We wrap and post the parcels on Monday and Tuesday - therefore if you pay before midday on Tuesday we will get it in the postal sacks on Tuesday night, and if it is after that time then it will go into the postal service on the following Monday.