545 
a 
During his undergraduate days he derived much pleasure and 
profit from his correspondence with Torrey, Gray and. Sullivant, 
to whom he sent his specimens and to whom he applied for 
counsel. His herbarum still contains many of these specimens 
with notes from these distinguished authorities. Such was his 
advancement even then that in his junior year he published a short 
paper in “ Silliman’s Journal” on three new ferns from California, 
his first contribution to science upona group to which he devoted 
later his chief attention. 
He obtained the degree of B. A. from Yale College in 1857, 
and spent the three succeeding years in the Lawrence Scientific 
School of Harvard University in special botanical studies, under 
the direction of Professor Asa Gray. He devoted himself partic- 
ularly to the study of the ferns and produced several papers. He 
enumerated and described the new species of ferns from the col- 
lections made by Charles Wright of the Rodgers Exploring Expe- 
dition in Cuba and Japan, for Torrey’s Flora of the Mexican 
Boundary Survey and for Chapman’s Flora of the Southern United 
States. Finally, in 1860, he presented to the faculty of Harvard 
University, as his thesis for the purpose of obtaining the degree 
of Bachelor of Science, his “ Filices Wrightianae et Fendlerianae.” 
During the Civil War his botanical studies were interrupted and 
he held the position of clerk and inspector of stores in the Com- 
missary Department of the United States Army in New York City. 
He, however, had an opportunity of associating more intimately 
with Professor Torrey and of increasing his store of botanical 
tradition. 
After the war, in 1864, he was elected to the chair of botany 
in Yale College, which had been established by some of his friends, 
and his duties were assigned to the Sheffield Scientific School, 
with which he continued to be principally identified. A few years 
later he was appointed University Professor, and continued to give 
instruction in both departments until the end of his life. He took 
up his residence in New Haven in the fall of 1864, and in 1866 he 
married Caroline, daughter of Treadwell Ketcham, of New Haven. 
Mrs. Eaton, a son, and a daughter survive him. 
Professor Eaton made two trips to Europe, one early in 1866 
and another in 1887. As the later trip was taken for the benefit 
