These artificial partition walls for combs are sheets of genuine wax, about the substance of thin cardboard. They receive rhomboidal impressions by being pressed between two metal plates, carefully and mathematically prepared and cast so that the impressions are exactly the same size as the base of the cells of a honeycomb. An inspection of a piece of comb will show that the division of the opposite cells is made by a thin partition-wall, common to both. The substance of this is said to be only the one hundred and eightieth part of an inch, whilst the artificial ones we are recommending are between the thirtieth and fortieth part of an inch, or more than four times the thickness of the handiwork of the bees themselves. It would, indeed, be vain to attempt to furnish them with sheets of wax at all approaching their own delicate fabric, and our sheets are quite as thin as they can be to bear the handling requisite for fixing them in the hives. We find, however, that the thickness is no disadvantage; the bees speedily excavate and _pare the artificial sheet_ so as to suit their own notions of the substance required; then, with admirable economy, they use the surplus thus obtained for the construction of the cells. After a sheet has been partly worked at by the bees, it is interesting to hold it up to the light and observe the beautiful transparency of that part of it, contrasted with the opaqueness of the part not yet laboured upon. This invention renders us independent of _guide-comb_, which is not always obtainable. It comes to us from Germany, where it has attained many years of success. At the International Exhibition of 1862 we purchased the metal plates or castings, so as to manufacture the impressed sheets with which we are now able to supply our customers; and after the careful trials we have made we have great confidence in recommending them. As will be seen below, however, we no longer advise insertion of entire sheets. In the season of 1863 we furnished a Woodbury glass super with the wax sheets fixed to the bars in the way hereafter to be explained, and it was truly astonishing to mark the rapidity with which these sheets of wax were converted into comb. Receptacles were quickly made ready for the storing of honey, and the new combs soon became beautifully white; for, although the artificial wax has a yellow tinge, yet, after being worked at and made thinner, it is as good in colour as ordinary combs.