A Puma by any other name

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

En un mensaje con fecha 04/01/2002 7:31:52 PM Central Standard Time, 
gochfeld at EOHSI.RUTGERS.EDU escribe:

<< By the way, Gene Eisenmann of the AMNH, who assembled the first 
comprehensive list of  Central American bird species, hated patronyms and 
went to great lengths  to contrive English names, hopefully descriptive, that 
were not based on a person's name.>>

Hi Mike G, While there may be some truth in what you say, I suspect your use 
of the the word 'hated' regarding Gene would not be well received by him.  I 
don't have any first hand knowledge, but your mention of him got me curious 
if he was the same birding partner my parents spoke fondly of when they had 
more get-up-and-go and were a bit younger (50 years ago).  Indeed he was 
their good friend and they frequently were a birding trio.  Dad mentions he 
was a brilliant attorney :-), staunch conservationist, and expert on 
Panamanian bird nomenclature.  He sorely misses Gene, and says Gene's 
attitude was of mutual respect, and that he was the furthest thing from being 
obnoxious.  Sounds to me like some of today's "experts" on this list and 
elsewhere do have a lot to learn from Eisenmann indeed.

Saw 19 species of butterflies in the high montane region nearby here in 
Mexico, so summer is here.  Too bad the winter was so dry.  That is usually 
bad news...

Doug Dawn
Monterrey, Mexico

 
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