MOSS-HOUSES, &c. 



689 



doorway and the windows, are seats, a a, 

 fig. 968, made of stained cherry-tree. 

 Above these is a skirting of rustic w r ood, 

 eighteen inches deep, 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 

 panels, and these into a succession of 

 squares. 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 hori- 

 zontal stripes. In the spangles over the 

 doorway are upwards of sixty species of 

 moss and lichens, such as are too dimi- 

 nutive in growth to be incorporated in the 

 body of the work. Over the seats and 

 windows are three horizontal pieces, on a 

 level with the ceiling of the portico, with 

 various devices, (fig. 969, h i h I.) 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 build- 

 ing. The opposite end is hipped in, and 

 has the figure of the English crown. The 

 whole of the design is executed in parti- 

 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 mullions of the 

 panels are formed with Cenomyce rangi- 

 ferina, a white lichen. The ridge of the 

 outer roof is about four feet in length, 

 with six hips, and projecting eaves. The 

 planner is of rough bark, and the fascia 

 of pinaster cones, within which is a 

 gutter to carry the water to the back 

 part of the building." 



Mr Toward remarks, " that, had the 

 whole structure been 1 foot higher, it 

 would have appeared to much greater 

 advantage. The walls are barely 7 feet, 

 and they ought to have been nearly 8 

 in height. 



" Fig. 967 is the elevation, showing the 

 situation of the window, the seats, the 

 outer cornice of pine cones, floor of the 

 portico, &c. Fig. 968 shows the ground- 



Fig. 970. 



plan of the 

 house, porti- 

 co, &c. : a a 

 are the seats. 

 Fig. 970, sec- 

 tion from 

 back to front, 



Fig. 971. 



showing the interior and exterior roofs. 

 Fig. 971, section from right to left, 

 shows the seats, 

 and the inner and 

 outer roofs, with 

 gutters. Fig. 972 

 is a sketch of 

 one of the sides. 

 In this figure, k 

 shows the disposi- 

 tion of the rods before the moss is intro- 

 duced between them ; o is Cenomyce ran- 



Fig. 972. 



VOL. I. 



giferina, (a white lichen ;) p Hypnum 

 Schreberi, (a green moss ;) q Dicranum 

 glaucum, (light-grey moss;) r Bryum hor- 

 num (green moss ;) s Sphagnum acutifo- 

 lium, pink var. ; t Sphagnum obtusifolium, 

 (white moss ;) u Bryum cuspidatum, 

 (green moss ;) I is the rustic skirting- 

 above the seat ; m the seat ; and n the 

 rustic-work under the seat. 



"Fig. 969 is a plan of the ceiling of 

 the portico, and of the horizontal part of 

 the ceiling of the interior. In this figure 

 hih and I are the horizontal panels of the 

 ceiling of the interior over the seats. 

 The patterns of these panels are formed 

 by round rods, as above described, be- 

 tween which are introduced the follow- 



4 S 



