The proton-hole character of states in i59H0 has been studied using the 16z'i64Er(p, ~) 159'161Ho reactions with 17MeV protons. The shapes of angular distributions measured for both nuclei were compared, with good agreement in most cases, to tritoncluster-transfer DWBA calculations. The deviations obtained and the experimental normalization factors deduced for the 164Er(p,~z) 16iHo reaction by comparisons to (t, c~) cross sections indicate a need for a revised treatment of the mechanism of the (p, e) reaction on deformed nuclei. By comparisons to the well-known states in i6iHo, nuclear structure factors were obtained for many levels in 159Ho.