I think it all depends on how you view it. A university names the new library or gym after the person who provided the funds to build it. This is usually viewed as a valid means of honoring and thanking the contributor, rather than an outright cash purchase of notoriety. The idea of naming a species after someone in return for cash could likewise be viewed as the outright purchase of a taxon, which sounds a bit tacky, though not overly horrific from my point of view (after all, there are thousands of new ones available every year). Or - it could be viewed as justly honoring a person who has made a significant contribution to research by way of financial support. In any case, I believe the astronomers beat the biologists to it on this one. I recall reading, some years ago - I don't remember where - of the possibility of having a star named after you, in return for a sizeable monetary contribution. Paul M.