Sniffing butterflies

[Mona Miller]

I never thought of sniffing a butterfly to see what it smelled like:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... nvironment

Sniffing butterflies

"Who out there knows that butterflies are scented?" Jennifer Fisher Wilson writes in the online publication The Smart Set. "Their aroma can be that of flowers like honeysuckle or jasmine, herbs and spices like lemon verbena or cinnamon, or confections like vanilla or chocolate, depending on the species. It can also be unpleasant like vinegar or urine. According to Avery Gilbert, author of What the Nose Knows, scented butterflies are neither exotic nor rare. While field guides do not say so, Gilbert notes that butterflies can easily be caught, sniffed and released unharmed. What a captivating pursuit!"