CHAPTER XIX. 



The Home of the Cypress — Its Wonderful Beauty — 

 Picturesque Trees — The Point Cypress Snail — 

 The Saucy Jays — The Mormon Snail — Helix Fide- 

 lis — Glyptostoma — The Edible Snail — Species of 

 Minute Snails — ■ Mesodon — Vallonia — The Aste- 

 risk. 



/CYPRESS POINT is a projection of land, a few 

 \y miles south of Monterey, which looks out boldly 

 upon the broad Pacific ocean. The huge waves come 

 rolling in and beat themselves into spray against its 

 rugged cliffs, and the sweet breath of the ocean pours 

 over the tree-tops and then rushes on across the hills, 

 carrying health and vigor to the parched interior of 

 the State. There is no more delightful spot on this 

 beautiful earth than this same Point of the Cypress 

 Trees, and whoever visits it carries away a picture of 

 mingled wildness, sublimity and beauty. 



It is well named, for here, within the compass of 

 a few score of acres, is the diminishing home of the 

 cypress trees of California. From this little spot 

 came the seeds which have developed into hundreds 

 of miles of beautiful hedges, and tens of thousands 

 of beautiful trees. 



The parent-trees are venerable specimens, blown 

 by the strong sea-breezes into the most fantastic 

 forms. Here is one on the very edge of the bluff; 

 its trunk is horizontal, and its thick-leaved top slants 



