498 Prof. J. O. Westwood's Note 



dorsal segments of the abdomen furnished -svith transverse 

 roTvs of strong reflexed hooklets. In 1852, M. II. Lncas 

 published the description of a new Algerine species of the 

 genus, Bomb. Boghariensis in the Annales of the French 

 Entomological Society, 2nd scr. vol. x. p. 11, pi. 1, 

 No. II., which he had reared from a pupa found mider a 

 stone in a damp sandy situation, and, contrary to the opinion 

 of Latreille, he expressed himself thus: "je suis porte a 

 croire que les larves qui composent ce genre ne sont pas 

 parasites, com me le supposent Latreille etbeaucoup d'autres 

 Entomologistes, mais qu'elles vivent au contraire isolement 

 dans la tcrre, — opinion, au reste, qui avait dejti etc emise, 

 mais avec doute, par M. Macquart, et que mon observa- 

 tion vient confirmer." 



In 1858 the real history of the Bomhylius was discovered 

 by the veteran Leon Dufour, avIio in the spring found 

 various exuvias of the pupa of 2?. major sticking out of the 

 ground, together with the newly-hatched insect, in places 

 much frequented by y^v'iow^ Andrcnida, especially Colletes 

 hirta, and who succeeded in the autumn, by digging on 

 the spot, to find the larva " au milieu des deblais, ou 

 gisaient par-ci par-la des coques de Colletes." (Ann. Soc. 

 Ent. France, 3rd ser. tom. \\. p. 505, pi. 13, fig. Ill, 

 and details.) The larva is elongated, apod and fleshy, 

 and of a white colour. The preceding observations clearly 

 prove that the larvaj of the Bomhijlii are parasites in the 

 nests of other insects, in the manner of the cuckoo among 

 birds ; and the observation which has been the cause of my 

 troubling the Society with this communication, although 

 confirmatory of tlie discovery of M. L. Dufour, is more 

 interesting from the situation in which it was made than 

 fi'om any additional knowledge Avliich it affords. 



Those persons Avho have had the great pleasure of visit- 

 ing Pompeii are aware that the whole area of the inclosure, 

 streets, temples, houses and Forum of that most remark- 

 able city, are throughout paved with stones of various sizes, 

 from the large blocks which form the step]:)ing-stones across 

 the sti'eets, to the minute cubes with -which the tessellated 

 pavements of most of the houses are ornamented in so 

 beautifid a maimer ; the only exception being the Forum 

 Triangiilarc, adjoining the Theatre, at the south-east angle 

 of the city. In this Forum the surface is unpaved ; and on 

 visiting it on several occasions, in brilliant sunny weather 

 in the month of April, I was at once struck with a loud 

 buzzing noise, just like that made by a swarm of bees. 



