London, Macmillan, 1883. Folio (28.2 x 19.6 cm). pp. 128-129 in: Nature, Issue 29(736) [pp. xli-xlviii, 121-144]. Original printed wrappers.

The last published work of Charles Darwin (1809-1882). It deals with instinct and behaviour, two of Darwin's favourite topics. A part is abridged, but three considerable text segments (all on p. 129) are left intact and printed as written by Darwin. Freeman lists one later publication by Charles Darwin (Freeman, 1805), but that can hardly be regarded as such, as it was written by his son, Francis, and contains only some data provided by his father. In a previous issue of Nature (Number 735, p. 110 - which we have ADDED), a meeting of the Linnean Society on 6 December 1883 was announced, "...to be exclusively devoted to the reading of a posthumous essay on Instinct by the late Mr. Darwin. We are informed that this essay is full of important and hitherto unpublished matter with regard to the facts of animal instinct considered in the light of the theory of natural selection; and as the existence of the essay has only now been divulged we doubt not that the next meeting of the Linnean Society will be of an unusually interesting character". Both issues uncut, as issued. Weak, vertical fold (due to the method of dispatching), slight soiling, creasing and chipping to wrapper outer edges, otherwise very good, clean. Freeman, 1804.