<ns:getDescriptionResponse xmlns:ns="http://itis_service.itis.usgs.org"><ns:return type="org.usgs.itis.itis_service.SvcDescription" xmlns:ax21="http://itis_service.itis.usgs.org/xsd" xmlns:ax23="http://data.itis_service.itis.usgs.org/xsd" xmlns:ax25="http://metadata.itis_service.itis.usgs.org/xsd"><ax21:description>This is the ITIS Web Service, providing access to the data behind www.itis.gov. The database contains 487,592 scientific names (381,795  of them valid/accepted)  and 109,254 common names.</ax21:description></ns:return></ns:getDescriptionResponse>