the Termites 0/* Africa and other hot Climates . 153 
quite tranfparent, another like, amber, a third brown, and a 
fourth quite opaque, 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 v 
for thefe are compofed entirely of wooden materials, feemingly 
joined together with gums, I call them the nurferies becaufe 
they are invariably occupied by the eggs, and young ones* which 1 
appear at firft in the ihape of labourers, but white as'fnow. 
Thefe buildings are exceeding' compact, and divided into many 
very fmall irregular-fhaped chambers* not one of which is to* 
be found of half an inch in width (tab, VIII. fig. 5.). They arc 
placed, all round, the royal apartments, and as near as poflible to-> 
therm 
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 neceflary to enlarge the chamber for her accom- 
modation ; and as fhe then lays a greater number of eggs, and 
requires a greater number of attendants, fo it is neceflary to 
enlarge and encreafe the number of the adjacent apartments ; 
for which purpofe the fmall nurferies which are firft built are 
taken to pieces, rebuilt a little farther off a fize bigger, and 
the number of them encreafed at the fame time. 
Thus they continually enlarge their apartments, pull down,* 
repair, or rebuild, according to their wants, with a degree of 
fagacity, regularity, and forefight, not even imitated by any 
other kind' of animals or infefts that I have yet heard of. 
There is one remarkable circumftance attending the nur- 
feries, which I muft not at this time omit.. They are always- 
found {lightly overgrown with mould (tab. \ III; fig. 6), and 
plentifully fprinkled with fmall white globules about the fize 
of a fmall pin’s head. Thefe at firft I took to be the eggs ; but, 
Vol. LX XL. X. 
on. 
