a department of France, lying between N. Lat. 48° 12' and 48° 58', E. Long. 1° 0', and W. Long. 0° 47'. It is bounded on the N. by the department of Calvados, E. by those of Eure and Eure-et-Loire, S. by Sarthe and Mayenne, and W. by Manche. Its length from E. to W. is 84 miles; breadth, on an average, 28 miles; area, 2346 square miles. It is crossed from E. to W. by a chain of hills, which separate the waters of the Loire from those of the English Channel. The highest summits of these hills are only about 1368 feet above the level of the sea. The principal rivers are,—the Orne, from which the department takes its name, the Touques, and the Dives, all flowing northwards from the hills into the English Channel; the Huine, Sarthe, Varenne, and Mayenne, which flow to the south, and discharge their waters into the Loire. None of the rivers are navigable in the department. Orne contains numerous lakes; but they are all small and insignificant. The character of the surface and of the soil is very various in different parts, bearing in some places evident traces of volcanic action. The extent of arable land in the department is 822,890 acres; of meadows, 323,730 acres; of wood, 177,922 acres; and of waste land, 42,318 acres. The state of agriculture is not very highly advanced, and the arable land is not of any great fertility; so that notwithstanding its extent, the quantity of corn produced falls short by about a third of the demands of the population. Oats, buckwheat, potatoes, rye, hemp, and flax, are the principal crops raised; in some places also beetroot is grown for the manufacture of sugar. The climate of Orne is temperate, but very damp; in spring and autumn much rain falls; and though the summer is mild and dry, during the winter snow, rain, and foggy weather prevail almost without intermission. No wine is made in this country; but there are very many apple and pear trees, in many places lining the roads, and affording quantities of cider and perry, the favourite beverages of the inhabitants. The pastures are very good, and many cattle from the neighbouring departments are sent here to be fattened. They, as well as the sheep of Orne, are numerous and of good breed; the horses also, especially those of the plain of Alençon, being of the purest Norman breed, are highly esteemed. The department contains about 135,000 head of cattle, 215,000 sheep, 30,000 pigs, 52,000 horses, &c. Iron mines are worked in some parts of the department, and among the mineral productions are granite, marble, building stone, porcelain, clay, &c. The principal branches of industry carried on are the working of iron and the weaving of cloth; there are 49 smelting furnaces and forges for iron, besides cutleries, needle-manufactories, and establishments for making cloth, paper, glass, and lace which is highly esteemed. The articles of commerce, besides the produce of the manufactures, consist of corn, honey, cider, flax, wax, horses, cattle, poultry, timber, &c. The department forms part of the diocese of Séez; and for public instruction contains 4 colleges, a normal school, 3 upper communal schools, and 623 elementary schools. The capital is Alençon, and the department is divided into four arrondissements as follows:

| Canton | Communes | Pop. (1855) | |--------|----------|------------| | Alençon | 6 | 95 | 72,492 | | Argentan | 11 | 101 | 102,074 | | Domfront | 8 | 93 | 137,392 | | Mortagne | 11 | 155 | 118,169 |

Total | 36 | 534 | 430,127

ORNE, a river of France, giving its name to the above department, in which it rises, not far from Séez. It flows northwards to the borders of the department of Calvados, then turns N. by E., and falls into the English Channel, after a course of 90 miles. It receives the Noireau, the Aize, and the Oden, and is navigable as far as Caen, 10 miles from its mouth.