english names of organisms?

[Todd Richmond]

In article <38206461.7276 at icrf.icnet.uk>, Ina Hinners
<look.footer at icrf.icnet.uk> wrote:
>I have a list of homologous proteins. Now I am wondering what the
>following organisms are (in English):
>
>Ustilago maydis
>Bos primegenius
>Camtotheca acuminata
>Discopyge ommata
>
>Anybody ideas? Thanks a lot, Ina

Try using NCBI's taxonomic database at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/tax.html

As an example, 

Bos primigenius indicus = Bos indicus[synonym], zebu cattle[common name] 
Discopyge ommata = preferred common name: electric ray

When that fails, just do a general net search. Using www.google.com, the
very first hit was to an abstract from Development, with the title:
Discrete developmental stages during teliospore formation in the corn smut
fungus, Ustilago maydis

And note that a minor spelling change Camtotheca acuminata => Camptotheca
acuminata and a quick net search will yield that Camptotheca acuminata is
also called the Chinese Happy Tree or Cancer tree, because of the
promising cancer fighting compound, camptothecin, that it contains.

-- 
Dr. Todd Richmond
Carnegie Institution of Washington
260 Panama Street                   Email: todd at andrew2.stanford.edu
Stanford, CA 94305                 Homepage: http://cellwall.stanford.edu/todd