THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES BY WHICH ORCHIDS ARE FERTILISED BY INSECTS. SECOND EDITION, REVISED. THIRD THOUSAND. by Darwin, Charles - 1882

London: John Murray, 1882. xvi, 300 pp, small 8vo (7 3/8" H), leather spine with 5 raised bands, black leather title label, gilt lettering & decoration, leather corners, marbled-paper covered boards, marbling to all edges of text block. Marbled endpapers. List of other titles by Darwin on verso of title page. 38 b&w illustrations in text. "(This book was Darwin's) first detailed demonstration of the power of natural selection, and explained how complex ecological relationships resulted in the coevolution of orchids and insects. The view has been expressed that the book led directly or indirectly to all modern work on coevolution and the evolution of extreme specialisation." A few scattered tiny foxing marks on verso of free endpapers and on adjacent pages, gilt lettering and some decorarion on the spine has faded (not on spine label), small piece missing from corner of spine label (letters F & E missing), darkening to top of text block, light to moderate edge wear to boards/corners, small areas of flaking to leather on hinges, a small bump at top edge of front board, red leather on spine and somewhat at corners has faded to light brown.. Second Edition, revised.. Half-Leather. Very Good-.