24 PROCEEDINGS OF THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING 



all tlie weird and fascinating devices of a Ijuried world, emerging from 

 the slime and dirt, the grime and damp, of the lower regions — in these 

 majestic demonstrations of phj'sical change and the vastitude of results 

 from 'persistent minor forces the American caves have perhaps few peers. 



Doctor Hovey"s work may be estimated as having opened to the Avorld 

 a field of great interest and instruction in our country. To it we owe 

 our present extensive knowledge of the ]\Iammoth Cave, much of Avhat is 

 known of the Luray caverns, and so on along the line of American caverns 

 of note. His "Celebrated American Caverns" is a standard work; his 

 "Guide Book to the ]Mammoth Cave" has passed through fifteen editions ; 

 his contributions to the Encyclopedia Britannica are the summaries of 

 an authority, and in his bibliography will he found more than 100 titles 

 which testify to his unflagging and plenteous activities in popularizing 

 and disseminating knowledge of underground phenomena. 



A few years after Doctor Hovey had written the first of his papers on 

 cave exploration (1858) the famous bone cave at Brixham, Devonshire, 

 was discovered. Its discoverers thought it important that it he scien- 

 tifically investigated and communicated their conviction to tlu^ Director 

 General of the Geological Survey, who decided that such operations did 

 not fall within the scope of that Survey. Yet this discovery, the explora- 

 tion of the contents of the cavern by Pengelly and Falconer, led to the 

 unfolding of the whole panorama of the ancient caves and cave life of 

 Britain. Since those years the caves of Europe have proven to be the 

 treasure chests of our human records, and while here in America we 

 must abide with a slenderer hope of such light; yet the life stories of the 

 American caverns, which have been illuminated by the discoveries of 

 Doctor Hovey and his associate, Doctor Call, are of great interest. 



In their organic or inorganic phases these problems of the caves per- 

 tain to our science of geology, and it is our gratification that he who 

 labored on them so successfully was one of us. 



Doctor Hovey was a cautious observer, a clear and forcible writer, and 

 brought to his scientific publications qualities which graced his chiefer 

 l^rofession. He taught his science as he could find opportunity. He 

 traveled much, and in these travels, on one occasion, had opportunity to 

 visit the caverns of central France under the guidance of Martel. 



Upon Doctor Hovey's other service to his generation we can not dwell. 

 Labors for the Christian Commission during the last years of the Civil 

 War, in which he went through the battles of the Wilderness, North 

 Anna, and Cold Harbor; his civic activities in the various communities 

 of his pastorate — these have been recorded in other memorials. In later 

 years his appearance at our meetings was only occasional, but we do not 



