SMITH, Erminnie Adelle, scientist, born in Marcellus, New York, 26 April, 1836 ; died in Jersey City, New Jersey, 9 June, 1886. Her maiden name was Platt. She was educated at Mrs. Willard's seminary in Troy, New York, and in 1855 married Simeon H. Smith, of Jersey City, New Jersey She early devoted herself to geology, and made one of the largest private collections in the country. She spent four years in Europe with her sons, studying science and language, during which period she was graduated at the School of mines, Freiberg, Saxony, and after her return gave frequent courses of lectures. She organized and became president of the Esthetic society of Jersey City, whose monthly receptions from 1879 to 1886 were widely known. In 1878 she undertook ethnological work under the auspices of the Smithsonian institution, and obtained and classified over 15,000 words of the Iroquois dialects. To facilitate her work in this direction, she spent two summers with the remnant of the Tuscaroras in Canada. She published numerous papers on scientific subjects, and was a member of the Historical society of New York, of the London scientific society, and the first lady fellow of the New York academy of sciences. At the meeting of the American association for the advancement of science in 1885 she was secretary of the section of geology and geography. Her Iroquois-English dictionary was in course of printing at the time of her death. A volume of essays and poems by the aesthetic society, written and delivered under her direction, was issued in 1883. In 1888 a geological prize was founded at Vassar college in her honor.