a department of France, including part of ci devant Normandy and Perche. The soil is low and moist, but being well adapted for pasture, great numbers of cattle and horses are raised. There are some considerable woods, and some productive mines of iron. The trade consists chiefly in grain, cider, cattle, horses, hemp, and in serge, woollen cloths, lace, and linens, of which there are manufactures. The territorial extent of this department is 1,265,000 arpent, or 2400 square English miles. The population in 1800 was 397,921 persons. The contributions for the year 1802 amounted to 3,666,903 francs. Alençon is the chief town.

ORNITHIÆ, a name given by the ancients to certain winds, which usually blew in the spring, at the time when the birds of passage came over to them. Pliny says, that these winds blew from the west, and that by some the Etesian winds were called by this name. Others suppose that they blew from the north, or north-west.