Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Smithsonian Butterflies


Myrrh alerted me some time ago to the existence of a butterfly tunnel at the Natural History Museum. I finally got to visit the butterflies this weekend and they were great! Unlike the rest of the museum, there is a cost to visit the butterflies. The place is charming, though! There are lots of little butterflies and a couple of big ones, including this blue one (above--my favorite). There was also a butterfly that had "Mormon" in the name (because there are various types of female, but one type of male, I think). There are knowledgeable staff around who are happy to tell you lots about the butterflies. For instance, there's one type that never eats, but only mates (they die within a week). Other butterflies I noticed had quite beat up wings (I think that it was near the end of their lifespan). There's something really mesmerizing about watching them flutter around and even about watching them beat their wings in the air, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

My other favorite part of the Natural History Museum: the minerals and gemstones.


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