162 University of California Publications in Zoology (Vou. 9 
performance of its duties as a trustee of puble property. The 
transaction was closed in August, 1907. 
The tract was made accessible during the same summer by 
the construction of the boulevard which was a part of what later 
became the main highway between San Diego and Los Angeles. 
This piece of road, built by Mr. E. W. Scripps mostly at the 
expense of Miss E. B. Scripps, as above mentioned, was of 
far greater significance to the station than the mere furnishing 
of an easy access from the village of La Jolla. Opening up as 
it did the whole ocean-side area between La Jolla at the south 
and Del Mar at the north, and passing through the unique and 
much favored Torrey Pine Grove, it has been a great factor in 
bringing to public attention the beauty of the region and the 
natural productiveness and utilizability of the lands. Further- 
more, the ascent from sea level to the three hundred-foot elevation 
of the mesa being through the station’s tract, the necessary 
tortuousness of the road causes it to reach a large portion of the 
land. 
Thus was settled the long and earnestly considered question 
of just where on the face of the earth the final home of this 
biological enterprise should be. But the home itself was still far 
from an accomplished facet, though a long, sure step toward it 
had been taken some time before when Miss Scripps had notified 
the board of directors during the fall of 1905 of her decision 
to place $50,000 at its disposal, chiefly for building purposes, 
but also for whatever use the best interests of the station might 
demand. The main building was to be a memorial to a deceased 
brother, George H. Scripps. Soon after the settlement of the 
site question, planning for the first permanent building was 
turned to afresh. 
The difficulties in the way of actually looking after the affairs 
of the station, incident to the fact that none of the scientific 
staff upon whom fell the chief responsibility could be at La Jolla 
more than a few weeks or at best months at a time each year, 
were becoming more and more apparent to all, but to none more 
than to Miss Seripps and Mr. Seripps. Nothing had so strongly 
emphasized the need of the constant presence at the scene of 
operations of a responsible scientific head as the preparations for 
