[Mb-civic] Guardian Unlimited: Axis of weevils cast from the mould

[harry.sifton at sympatico.ca]

HS spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you should see it.

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Note from HS:

I love this, Axis of Weevils, Bush Cheney and Rumsfeld!
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To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk

Axis of weevils cast from the mould
Agencies in New York
Friday April 15 2005
The Guardian


They are synonymous with American power, conservatism and the projection of military might. 

Now the names of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have gained a second, somewhat less formidable connotation: two scientists have named a species of beetle after America's paramount triumvirate.  

Quentin Wheeler and Kelly Miller, who had the task of naming 65 newly discovered species of slime-mould beetles, settled on Agathidium bushi, Agathidium cheneyi, and Agathidium rumsfeldi as names for three of them.  

It is intended to pay homage to them, said Dr Wheeler, who taught at Cornell University for 24 years and now is the head of entomology at the Natural History Museum in London.   

"We admire these leaders as fellow citizens who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular," he said. 

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited