APRIL 9, 1914] 
NATURE iS 
)osg 
about 1000 A.D. Collateral evidence consists 
mainly in the references by other writers to the 
events recorded by the sagas, which, it is plain, 
were regarded as historical narratives. 
The numerous vague rumours of a world in the 
west, as embodied in strange maps and stranger 
stories, have little bearing on the relatively pre- 
cise and plain tales of the Norse sea-kings. Those 
tales which, where not distorted by later fancy, 
are straightforward as a sailor’s log, must be 
checked by reference to the geographical data 
recorded in them. This is the most valuable part 
of the task essayed by Mr. Babcock in his interest- 
ing and well-written volume. He is not the first 
to make the attempt, but the originality and the 
strength of his attack lie in his reconstruction of 
the geographical conditions as they probably were 
nine hundred years ago. Then the seaboard north 
of the Gulf of Maine was lower than now, whereas 
south of that point it was higher. The change, 
which is still in progress, is due to the oscillation 
of the earth’s crust initiated by the withdrawal of 
the great ice-sheet. By taking this movement 
into consideration, Mr. Babcock has been able to 
identify with much plausibility the features and 
localities mentioned in the sagas. 
Let us take only one point in illustration. 
Karlsefni and his wife Gudrid on their southward 
voyage saw to the starboard “a bleak coast, with 
long and sandy shores... they called them 
Wonder Strands, because they were so long to 
sail by.” The interminable sand-dunes of New 
Jersey and Maryland supply a modern parallel to 
these cheerless ‘‘ Furdustrandir,” but the voyagers 
cannot have been further south than Nova Scotia, 
and no such wonder-strands are found there now. 
-“‘Conceive,” however, says Mr. Babcock, “the 
Nova Scotia seaboard lowered by the 25 feet or 
more of its present height, that is, brought down 
to water-level and dipped a little under—with 
slight narrowing of the peninsula in its mainland 
part, and partial obliteration of the eastern side 
of the now hollow insular terminal part called 
Cape Breton Island—and you will have something 
not wholly unlike the long strands of New Jersey 
or the peninsula east of the Chesapeake, only with 
the hill country much nearer. It was the first 
introduction of the surprised northern visitors to 
the characteristic American coast line.” 
By such ingenious but not unwarranted use of 
the scientific imagination does Mr. Babcock 
identify the various localities of the saga, thus 
confirming its essential accuracy. The vines that 
gave a name to Wineland are the fox-grapes of 
to-day and the apparent wheat “self-sown 
wherever there were hollows,” is interpreted as 
wild rice, still a conspicuous feature. 
It is maintained, then, that Leif Ericsson 
chanced on America circa 1000 A.D., and coasted 
as far south as New Jersey; that Eric the Red 
dispatched Thorfinn and Gudrid three years later, 
as leaders of a large colonising party; that they 
passed Helluland (Labrador), Markland (New- 
foundland), the Wonder-strands (Nova Scotia), 
and settled near the mouth of Straumfjord (Bay 
NO. 2319, VOL. 93| 
of Fundy), where Gudrid gave birth to Snorri, 
the first American-born white man. Disappointed 
in the hard winter, Thorfinn and a party sailed 
further south about as far as Mount Hope Bay, 
but were driven back by Indians. After another 
winter at Straumfjord, all returned to Greenland. 
THE VIMPERTIAL,. BACTERIOLOGICAL 
LABORATORY, MUKTESAR, INDIA.} 
ee Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory, situ- 
ated at Muktesar in the United Provinces, 
has been established, and is maintained for the 
investigation of the diseases of stock in India, 
and for the preparation of anti-sera and vaccines 
used for the control of epidemic diseases among 
animals. ‘The history of the laboratory dates 
from 1890, when Dr. Lingard was appointed 
Imperial Bacteriologist, and for some years the 
work in connection with the diseases of animals 
in India was carried out at Poona. It was decided, 
however, to establish a separate institution for 
this purpose in the hills, and in 1895 a laboratory 
and.a few additional buildings were completed. 
This first laboratory was destroyed by fire in 1899. 
The re-building was taken in hand at once, and 
the present laboratory, much larger than the ori- 
ginal structure, was erected and ready for occupa- 
tion in 1901. The work of the laboratory has 
increased very rapidly, and it was found neces- 
sary to add a wing to the main building four years 
ago. In addition to the large laboratory there are 
three smaller buildings for the study of separate 
diseases, and other buildings for the accommoda- 
tion of animals, post-mortem examinations, etc., 
have been added from time to time. 
One of the earliest problems to be studied at 
Muktesar was the preparation of a prophylactic 
for rinderpest. In 1896 Koch visited Muktesar, 
and demonstrated his bile method of inoculation 
against rinderpest. An anti-serum for the disease 
was first prepared in India by Lingard, and it was 
first used in field epidemics in 1899, when about 
2000 doses were issued. Rinderpest anti-serum is 
one of the most effective prophylactics known to 
science, and a striking tribute to its value is to 
be found in the records of the Muktesar Labora- 
tory. Ten years after its introduction into India 
half a million doses were issued annually. In 1910 
improved methods for the preparation of the serum 
were discovered, and in the following year a 
million doses were manufactured. The serum is 
now supplied to all the provinces of India, to 
Burma, Ceylon, and the Native States, to the 
Federated Malay States, and to Egypt. In addi- 
tion to rinderpest anti-serum, a serum and vaccine 
for the control of epidemics of hemorrhagic septi- 
ceemia are prepared, as well as a vaccine for 
black quarter and a serum for anthrax. About 
20,000 doses of mallein are issued annually. 
Pathological specimens are examined, and instruc- 
tion is given to native veterinary graduates in the 
practical application of serum and vaccines. 
1 * A Deseription of the Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory, Muktesar : 
its Work and Products.” By Major J. D. E. Holmes. (Calcutta: Super- 
intendent Government Printing, 1913.) 
