44-0 Geological Society. 



it included, and the philosopliical manner in which its copious ma- 

 terials were arranged, well justified the distinction which it received. 

 The view presented in it of the great changes which have gone on 

 from the beginning of historical times, — the yielding or advancing 

 of coasts, the disappearing of islands, the union of seas, — appear to 

 give a new face to the globe. But the portion of the judgement of 

 the Academy which the author most valued was, that in which they 

 said that he had used the sources of his information conscientiously. 

 In 1824 appeared the second part, containing the history of volcanos 

 and earthquakes ; and, although the previous labours of Humboldt 

 and Von Buch had done much to connect and generalise facts of this 

 kind, Von Hoff's labours were an important step : " At least," he 

 himself says, " he was not aware that any one before him had en- 

 deavoured to combine so large a mass of facts with the general ideas 

 of the natural philosopher, so as to form a whole." Among other large 

 views, we may see much which, as to kind of change supposed, agrees 

 with the opinions of Mr. Darwin, of which I shall have to speak ; 

 for instance. Von Hoff conceives that the island of Otaheite is under- 

 going a gradual elevation out of the sea.* Finally, the third volume of 

 this work appeared after an interval of ten years, in 1 834 ; in which he 

 considers other causes of change; as rising and sinking of the land; 

 alterations of rivers and seas ; the operations of snow and ice ; and 

 also the geological results to which the whole survey had led him. In 

 this volume he expresses his pleasure at the appearance of Mr. Lyell's 

 work, which had taken place in the intervening period, and by which 

 he had found much new light thrown upon his own speculations. 



In the interval of time between the publication of the second and 

 third volumes, M. Von HofF published " Geological Observations on 

 Carlsbad," (1825) and " Measures of Heights in and near Thuringia" 

 (1833). In this last work he not only gave a great number of his 

 own barometrical measurements, but discussed all extant measures 

 of the heights of points in Thuringia, to the amount of above 1100. 

 He also employed himself in meteorological observations. 



Karl Ernest Adolph Von Hoff, Knight of the order of the White 

 Falcon, and invested with several offices of honour and dignity at 

 the Ducal Court of Gotha, died at Gotha the 24th of May last. 

 He was QQ years of age, having been bom in the same city Nov. I, 

 1771. 



Besides the history I have mentioned, which must always continue 

 to be a classical work on the subject of which it treats, he was at 

 the time of his death employed in compiling a continuation of his 

 Notices of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions ; and also a new 

 work, which was considered to be an important one, and was to be 

 entitled " Germany according to its Natural Conditions and Political 

 Relations." 



* Part II. Pref. p. xiv. 



[To be continued.] 



