—5i— 



Dr. A. W. Evans. At the time of his death Professor Eaton was 

 engaged in an exhaustive study of the North American species of 

 the genus Sphagnum. He published a check list of the North 

 American species and varieties and issued the prospectus of a 

 work to be entitled " Sphagna Boreal i- Americana E.xsiccata" 

 to be undertaken in connection with Edwin Faxon, but did not 

 live to complete it, his death occurring June 30, 1S95. Much of 

 the work of collecting and critical comparison had already been 

 done, however, and in 1896 his son, Dr. George F. Eaton, most 

 ably carried his father's ideas to completion, issuing 172 splendid 

 specimens with catalogue and labels, prepared in most careful 

 fashion. This collection represents most adequately the majority 

 of the North American species and varieties, and will remain 

 another monument to Professor Eaton's industry and ability. 



While Professor Eaton is best known for his work on ferns 

 and Sphagna, other groups of plants received from him very con- 

 siderable attention. He wrote the Compositae for the Botany of 

 King's Expedition, and this piece of work is a classic in its line 

 and has been very highly praised. At one time he devoted a very 

 considerable amount of time to the marine algae of North Amer- 

 ica, publishing lists of the species collected by himself at East- 

 port, Maine, and by Dr. Edward Palmer on '-.he coasts of Florida 

 and the Bahama Islands, and was associated with W. G. Farlow 

 and C. L. Anderson in distributing the "Alga America -Borcalis 

 E.xsiccatcc." 



Besides his botanical writings, Professor Eaton was the author 

 of a number of genealogical papers, especially in connection with 

 the Eaton and Selden families, as well as biographical records of 

 the Class of 1857 of Yale College, of which he was the secretary. 

 He wrote many reviews of botanical works for the Nation and 

 the American Journal of Science, and compiled the definitions 

 of botanical terms and names for Webster's International Dic- 

 tionary. 



While our interest, now, may be largely in Professor Eaton as 

 a botanist and particularly as the leading authority of his time on 

 the ferns of our country, yet it is impossible to estimate his work 

 at its full value without considering the man himself. He was a 

 lover of peace and thoroughness. He held aloof from controversy 

 of a public nature, though having very decided views of his own 

 on all important matters. He did nothing except in the most 

 careful and accurate fashion, from the details of the release of the 



