Is My Copy of The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Darwin's last book, published 10 October 1881, collating [ii], viii, 326 pages (the index included within that pagination) plus 2 pages of publisher's advertisements, with 15 text illustrations
• Because of brisk demand Murray printed a 'second thousand' from the same setting of type almost immediately, adding only the words 'Second Thousand' to the title page; the unmarked first-thousand state and the second-thousand state are textually identical and both belong to the same first-edition printing
• Only from the 'fifth thousand' state onward does the title page add '(corrected), and with textual changes,' marking a textually revised later printing; the intervening third thousand instead carries an inserted errata slip, whose corrections are worked directly into the text by the fourth thousand
• Original binding is publisher's green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, boards blind-panelled, with brown-coated endpapers

How John Murray marked a first edition

• No formal edition statement on most 19th-century Murray firsts: identify by the title-page date with no 'New Edition' / 'Second Edition' / number-of-thousand line, the correct imprint ('John Murray, Albemarle Street')…
• Inserted publisher's advertisement catalogue, frequently dated (for example 'March 1859'); on travel and scientific works a dated ad catalogue is a strong printing indicator and is sometimes the only dating evidence.

Full John Murray first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
3. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
4. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Any title page reading 'Fifth Thousand' or higher, or bearing the phrase 'corrected, and with textual changes,' is a revised later printing rather than the original October 1881 text.P-035470

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms a first edition?

A first edition of The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms by Charles Darwin (John Murray) is identified by: Darwin's last book, published 10 October 1881, collating [ii], viii, 326 pages (the index included within that pagination) plus 2 pages of publisher's advertisements, with 15 text illustrations.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Any title page reading 'Fifth Thousand' or higher, or bearing the phrase 'corrected, and with textual changes,' is a revised later printing rather than the original October 1881 text.

I have a first edition of The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.