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

[Dr. David Campbell]

> 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?

I believe that M'Coy (the 19th century geologist and paleontologist; 
there could be others) stuck with that name for himself; however, taxa 
named in his honor show more variation and require checking the 
original publication.  

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections Building
Department of Biological Sciences
Biodiversity and Systematics
University of Alabama, Box 870345
Tuscaloosa AL 35487-0345  USA