Octavo, 429 pages with two fold outs and pages of advertisements. In Good plus condition. Rebacked in green cloth with gilt lettering to spine, with original boards and preserved and parts of original spine laid on. Boards show wear along the edges; corners bumped and beginning to fray. Pages are age toned, as is typical, with some minor spotting, mostly at the beginning and on the fold outs. Interior otherwise clean and free of marking. An ex-library copy with usual markings, including a bookplate from the Royal Navy on front paste down and faded ink stamp on title page.

Darwin's contribution present and corrected on page 268. The first edition of 1849 had a transposition error in Darwin's essay, some later states included a corrected text in a rear pocket. The second edition was issued in 1851, with no offprint of Darwin's article. This is the third edition, complete. Fold out maps are present, with some slight tears to the rear map. Shelved in Case 10.