These apartments are joined by the magazines and nurseries; the former are chambers of clay, and are always well filled with provisions, which to the naked eye seem to consist of the raspings of wood and plants, which the termites destroy, but are found by the microscope to be chiefly composed of the gums or inspissated juices of plants, thrown together in little masses, some of which are finer than others, and resemble the sugar about preserved fruits; others are like drops of gum. The magazines are intermixed with the nurseries, buildings totally different from the rest of the apartments, being composed entirely of wooden materials, seemingly joined together with gums. They are called nurseries because they are invariably occupied by the eggs and young ones, which appear at first in the shape of labourers, but as white as snow. These buildings are exceedingly compact, and divided into many very small irregular-shaped chambers, placed all round the royal apartments, and as near as possible to them. When the nest is in the infant state, the nurseries are close to the royal chamber; but as in process of time the queen increases in size, it is necessary to enlarge the chamber for her accommodation; and as she then lays a greater number of eggs, and requires a more numerous train of attendants, so it is necessary to enlarge and increase the number of the adjacent apartments; for which purpose, the small nurseries which are first built, are taken to pieces, rebuilt a little further off, a size larger, and the number of them increased at the same time. Thus they continually enlarge their apartments, pull down, repair, or rebuild, according to their wants, with a degree of sagacity, regularity, and foresight, not even imitated by any other kind of animals or insects. The nurseries are inclosed in chambers of clay, like those which contain the provisions, but much more extensive. In the early state of the nest they are not larger than an hazel nut, but in great hills are often as large as a child’s head of a year old. The royal chamber is situated nearly on a level with the surface of the ground, at an equal distance from all the sides of the building, and directly under the apex of the hill. It is, on all sides, both above and below, surrounded by what may be called the royal apartments, which have only labourers and soldiers in them, and can be intended for no other purpose than for these to wait in, either to guard or serve their common father and mother, on whose safety depends the happiness, and, according to the account of the negroes, even the existence of the whole community.