import profiling

    taxon_ct = len(taxons)

    assert taxon_ct <= max_taxons

    profiler = profiling.ItersProfiler(start_now=True, iter_text='name')

    try:

        debug_log('Submit')

        request = submission_request_template.replace('[taxons]',

            r'\\n'.join(map(gwt_encode, taxons))) # double-escape \n

        response, response_info = do_request(request)

        key, = parse_response('submission', submission_response_pattern, response,

            response, response_info)

        debug_log('key', key)

        key_enc = gwt_encode(key)

        debug_log('Retrieve')

        request = retrieval_request_template.replace('[key]', key_enc)

        response, response_info = do_repeated_request(request)

        parse_response('retrieval', retrieval_response_pattern, response, response,

            response_info)

        session_id, = parse_response('retrieval info',

            retrieval_response_info_pattern, response_info, response, response_info)

        debug_log('session_id', session_id)

        headers['Cookie'] = 'JSESSIONID='+session_id

        # The output of the retrieve step is unusable because the array has

        # different lengths depending on the taxonomic ranks present in the provided

        # taxon name. The extra download step is therefore necessary.

        debug_log('Prepare download')

        request = download_request_template.replace('[key]', key_enc)

        response, response_info = do_request(request)

        csv_url, = parse_response('download', download_response_pattern, response,

            response, response_info)

        csv_url += download_url_suffix

        debug_log('csv_url', csv_url)

        debug_log('Download')

        response = urllib2.urlopen(urllib2.Request(csv_url))

        debug_log('response info', str(response.info()))

        return response

    finally:

        profiler.stop(taxon_ct)

        sys.stderr.write(profiler.msg()+'\n')