Carolyn Miller, aged 9, of Oakland, California, for her question:

How did butterflies get their name?

We can understand the fly part of the butterfly’s name. It flies and flutters about on wings like beautiful flower petals. But why should this beauty be called a butter‑fly? Did he remind someone of a gob of flying butter? The word experts are not absolutely certain about this. But they suspect that this is how the lovely creatures did get his name.

Did you ever see a golden yellow butterfly on the wing? Chances are he would be a sulphur butterfly. Maybe he was a clouded sulphur or an orange sulphur butterfly. These beauties are common all over the United States except around the mouth of the Mississippi river.

If you saw one of these golden beauties he might remind you of a gob of flying butter. And that, say the experts, is how the butterfly clan was first named. The golden butterfly was named first. Later his name was stretched to include ail butterflies, whether they were golden or not.

And the word butter? That comes from an old, old word meaning cow cheese! Perhaps the butterfly is not too well named. We might have named him the petalfly or something else that reminded us of his lovely wings. But no matter what his name, he couldn't be more beautiful.