with her subjects; so also is the king, but
inferior in size to the queen.

The royal residence is a full constructed hill, surrounded by an
innumerable number of others, differing in shape and dimensions, arched in
various forms, circular, and elliptical, which communicate by passages,
occupied by guards and attendants, and surrounded by nurseries and
magazines. But when the community is in an infant state, these are
contiguous to the royal residence; and in proportion as the size of the
queen increases, her chamber is enlarged, and her attendants and apartments
multiplied.

The construction of the outward apartments which surround the central royal
residence, that of the _common father_ and _mother_ of the community, form
an intricate labyrinth of nurseries and magazines, separated by chambers
and galleries, communicating with each other, and continuing towards the
surface of the pyramid; and being arched, they support each other, and are
uniformly larger towards the centre.

The second order of _termes_ are like the first, blind and active, but they
undergo a change of form, approaching to the perfect state; they are much
larger, and increase from about a quarter of an inch in length to half an
inch, and greater in bulk; and what is still more remarkable, the mouth is
armed with sharp claws, and the head is disproportionably enlarged. They
may properly be called the nurses and warriors of the kingdom; they urge
their fellow subjects in the _first_ state to labour, they inspect the
construction of the interior apartments, repel all attacks from enemies,
and devour them with fury; and may be considered as the standing army of
the state.

In the third and last stage, they are winged; their bodies then measure
about 7/8ths of an inch in length, furnished with four brownish transparent
wings, rather large; they have eyes also of a disproportionate size,
visible to the observer. When they make their appearance in this state, it
is indicative of the approach of the rainy season. At this period they
procreate their species.

They seldom wait before they take wing for a second or third shower; and
should the rain happen in the night, the quantities of them which are found
the next morning upon the surface of the earth, and on the waters, more
particularly upon the latter, are astonishing. The term of existence at
this stage is extremely short, and frequently on the following morning
after they have taken flight, they ar