[Taxacom] formation of zoological names with Mc, Mac, etc.

[Geoff Read]

Whether to use in databases the author names as in the original
publication spellings or standardize on the best known version is
contentious - as you probably know. See ICZN list for much debate.

In the case of W. C. M'Intosh as I recall he began as a M'Intosh, for
example in the massive Challenger Report in 1885, but in the 1920s he was
more often a McIntosh, for example in the equally monumental Ray Society
British Annelids. (He also had a day job - dunno how he did it all).

Nomenclator Zoologicus online has McIntosh for Maldanella n. genus from
Challenger, but that strictly would be incorrect. However, worm
taxonomists today generally go for McIntosh when citing a name, and
wouldn't bother to look up which he used at the time. Perhaps we should
take more care.

Geoff

>>> On 27/08/2009 at 3:44 p.m., <Tony.Rees at csiro.au> wrote:

> Can suitably knowledgeable persons advise as to the correctness or
otherwise
> of author names that start with M' , i.e. (in Nomenclator Zoologicus) these
> currently include M'Andrew (genus Amouroecium), M'Clelland (genus
Ophisternon
> plus others), M'Coy (genus Actinoconchus plus others), M'Intosh (genus
> Cephalodiscus plus others), M'Lachlan (genus Colpomera plus others), M'Leay
> (genus Anoplocheilus plus others) and M'Murtrie (genus Priodon). In
general I
> have also seen these cited elsewhere with Mc substituted for M'  , e.g. in
> the online Catalog of Fishes Eschmeyer has Ophisternon McClelland 1844
> whereas Nomenclator Zoologicus has Ophisternon M'Clelland 1844, so for my
> IRMNG database I made these changes, however possibly I should revert them?


--
Geoffrey B. Read, Ph.D.
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
gread at actrix.gen.nz