Donald Cunningham, age 8, of Columbia, S. C., for his question:

Can a butterfly walk?

In his childhood, every butterfly was a caterpillar. He had plenty of legs, but no wings, Everywhere he went, he went on foot. He seems to have had enough of walking during these early days. For we seldom see a grownup butterfly going for a stroll. After all, why should he?

Ho has four of the most beautiful wings in the worlds And flying must be far more fun than walking:

Whether he could walk or not is another matter. He has six legs, like any insect.  If you watch him close up on a flower you see that he can use them to walk if he wants. However, his wings arcs heavy and bulky. It is far easier for him to use them to fly with than to tote them along as he walks. He will walk over the face of a flower. But generally when he lands, he rests until he is ready to take off again.