470. Grettos and Moss-houses are very agreeable additions to pleasure-ground scenery in a large place; but they require to be managed with skill to produce a good effect. When it is practicable a preparation should be made for a grotto by psssing through rocky scenery, and gradually descending, till the path becomes a mere passage between rocks, and these rocks appear to form themselves into the entrance to the grotto. As this plan, however, is not only very expensive, but requires considerable space, in most cases it is judged sufficient to have merely a kind of summer-house, like that shown in fig. 244., to mark the entrance; or an outway as shown in fig. 245. to lead to it.

471. Moss-houses are built with a framework of wood, as shown in fig. 246., which is the ground plan of a moss-house, designed and executed by Mr. Toward, in the flower-garden of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, at Bagshot-park. The form is an irregular heptagon (fig. 247.), with a Gothic portico in front, supported on rustic pillars. The ceiling of the portico is inlaid with moss of various colours, representing a star and diamonds, as shown in fig. 248., with a cornice of pinaster cones. The floor under the portico is a copy of the ceiling in different coloured elliptical-shaped stones of a small size. On each side of the doorway are panels formed in the rustic style with different coloured woods. The entrance into the house is Gothic; opposite to which are two Gothic windows, with stained glass of various colours; under these are four square panels, with a large diamond in the centre of each, all formed with moss. Along the sides, between the doorway and the windows, are seats (fig. 246, a) made of stained cherry-tree: above these is a skirting of rustic wood 18 in. deep (see l in fig. 249.), the surbase of which projects about three-eighths of an inch beyond the moss, to prevent the back from brushing against it.

Each side above the skirting is divided into four square panels (see fig. 249.), and these into a succession of squares (k). On the right and left of the Gothic entrance is an oblong panel, with between twenty and thirty of the most common species of moss arranged in horizontal stripes. In the spangles over the doorway, are upwards of sixty species of moss and lichens, such as are too diminutive in growth to be incorporated into the body of the work. The whole of the above have been collected in and about this neighbourhood. Over the seats and windows are three horizontal pieces, on a level with the ceiling of the portico, with various devices, (fig. 250. c, d, and k.) These pieces serve as a kind of plancier to the inner roof, which is a common span, with a gable end over the entrance, on which is represented the elevation of the building.

Ground plan of the moss-house and portico: a a, the seats.

Section of the moss-house from front to back, showing the interior and exterior reels.

The opposite end is hipped in, and has the figure of the English crown. The whole of this design is executed in party-coloured moss. The ceiling of the span part of the roof is inlaid with light-coloured mosses, in the form of diamonds. All the styles, rails, and munnions of the panels are formed with Cen6myce rangiferina (or reindeer lichen), which grows in great abundance on Bagshot Heath. The ridge of the outer roof it about 4 ft. in length, with six hips and projecting eaves; the plancier is of rough hark, and the fascia of pinaster cones, within which is a gutter to carry the water to the back part of the building.

Section of the mots-home from right to left, showing the setts and the inner and the outer roof, with gutters, etc.

It may be remarked, that, had the whole structure been one foot higher, it would have appeared to much greater advantage: the walls are barely 7 ft., and they ought to have been nearly 8 ft. in height.

Fig. 251. is an elevation of the moss-house, showing the situation of the window, the seats, the outer cornice of pine cones, floor of the portico, etc, mentioned above.

Fig. 246. shows the ground plan of the moss-house and portico; a a are the seats.

Fig. 247. is a section of the moss-house from front to back, showing the interior and exterior roofs.

Fig. 248. is a section of the moss-house from right to left, showing the seats, and the inner and the outer roof, with gutters, etc.

Fig. 249. is a sketch of one of the sides. In this figure, k shows the disposition of the rods before the moss is introduced between them; o is Cenomyce rangiferina; p,Hypnum Schreberi; q is

Dicranum glaucum; r, Bryum hornum; s, S phagnum acutifolium, pink var.; t,

S, obtusifdlium; and u, Bryum cuspidatum. l is the rustic skirting above the seat; as, the seat; and n, the rustic-work under the seat Fig. 250. is a plan of the ceiling to the portico, and of the horizontal part of the ceiling of the interior. In this figure, c d and e are the horizontal panels in the ceiling of the interior, over the seats.

The patterns in these panels are formed by round rods, as above described, between which are introduced the following kinds of moss: - a, Bryum hornum; b, Cenomyce rangiferina; c, Sphagnum acntifolium, pink var.; d, Sphagnum obtusifolium; e, Dicranum glaucum;

f, Bryum cuspidatum; g, Hypnum squamosum; h, Dicranum scoparium. The same letters refer to the ceiling of the portico.