SMOCK, John Conover, geologist, born in Holmdel, New Jersey, 21 September, 1842. He was graduated at Rutgers in 1862, and was tutor in chemistry at that institution in 1865-'7. In 1867 he became professor-elect of mining and metallurgy, and he held full possession of the chair in 1871-'85. Meanwhile he studied at the Berg-Akademie and at the university of Berlin in 1869-'70, and he was assistant on the geological survey of New Jersey in 1864-'85, except during 1869-'70. Professor Smock was appointed assistant-in-charge of the New York state museum in 1885, which place he now (1888) holds. The degree of Ph.D. was conferred on him by Lafayette in 1882. He was a manager of the American institute of mining engineers in 1875-'7. Professor Smock is the author of numerous papers that have been contributed to the transactions of societies of which he is a member, and was associated with Professor George H. Cook in the preparation of the annual reports of the geological survey of New Jersey for the years 1871-'84, and also in the separate volumes on the " Geology of New Jersey" (Newark, 1868) and the "Report on Clay Deposits" (1878). He has recently issued, from the New York state museum of natural history, Bulletin No. 3, " On Building-Stones in New York "(Albany, 188S).