Microscopical 



Essays, 



Thefe apartments are joined by the magazines and nurferies ; 

 the former are chambers of clay, and are always well filled with 

 provifions, which to the naked eye feem to confift of the rafpings 

 of wood and plants, which the termites deftroy, but are found in 

 the microfcope to be principally the gums or infpiffated juices of 

 plants. Thefe are thrown together in little mattes, fome of which 

 are finer than others, and referable the fugar about preferved 

 fruits ; others are like tears of gum, one quite tranfparent, ano- 

 ther like amber, a third brown, and a fourth quite opake, as we 

 fee often in parcels of ordinary gums. 



Thefe magazines are intermixed with the nurferies, which are 

 buildings totally different from the reft of the apartments ; for 

 thefe are compofed entirely of wooden materials, feemingly joined 

 together with gums. They are called nurferies becaufe they are 

 invariably occupied by the eggs and young ones, which appear at 

 firft in the fhape of labourers, but white as fnow. Thefe build- 

 ings are exceedingly compact, and divided into many very fmall 

 irregular-fhaped chambers, not one of which is to be found of 

 half an inch in width ; they are placed all round the royal apart- 

 ments, and as near as poffible to them. 



When the neft is in the infant ftate, the nurferies are clofe to 

 the royal chamber ; but as in procefs of time the queen enlarges, 

 it is neceffary to enlarge the chamber for her accommodation ; 

 and as me then lays a greater number of eggs, and requires a 

 greater number of attendants, fo it is neceffary to enlarge and in- 

 •creafe the number of the adjacent apartments ; for which purpofe, 

 the fmall nurferies, which are firft built, are taken to pieces, 



O o 2 rebuilt 



