[ganong] identity OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS 205 



Beccacine. — French name for various species of the smaller Snipe, without 

 attempt to distinguish particular kinds, but probably applied especially 

 to the Sandpipers; transferred from a similar use in France. Used 

 first by Champlain, in 1604, and often by Denys, whose account makes 

 the identity plain. Compare also Chevalier. Dionne shows that the 

 name now applies to Wilson's Snipe in Canada. 



Beccasse. — French name for various species of the larger Snipe, without 

 attempt to distinguish particular kinds, transferred from a similar use 

 in France Used first by Lescarbot, then by Denys, whose account 

 makes the identity plain. Thwaites' Jesuit Relations wrongly trans- 

 lates it as Woodcock, though, according to Dionne, it has a certain 

 literary usage in this sense in Canada. 



Bécasse de Bois. — French descriptive phrase, meaning Snipe of the Woods, 

 applied by Denys to a bird which his description shows to be the 

 Woodcock. 



Bec-de-Scie. — French name of the Shelldrake or Merganser. Used first by 

 Denys, and persists to this day, as Bec-scie or Bec-sil among the 

 Acadians (fide A. C. Smith). La Hontan has Bees De scie. The name 

 is, of course, simply a French phrase meaning saw-beak, which is de- 

 scriptive of these birds; the name saw-bills is often applied to them 

 also by the English. 



Beche-bois huppé — Early French name, meaning Crested Woodpecker, Beche- 

 bois being an old form of Piquebois. Used first by Lescarbot, probably 

 applied to the Pileated Woodpecker. Denys refers to piqucbols, or 

 Woodpeckers, which he does not further describe except for one which 

 he calls gays (probably descriptive of its brilliant color and not the 

 word geai, meaning jay) and which his description seems to identify 

 as the Redheaded Woodpecker. Le Clercq describes two kinds, one of 

 them verj' plainly the Pileated Woodpecker, and another which is 

 a generalized description of the smaller black-and-white species. 



Beech. — See Hetre. 



Bernache. — Name of a water-bird, mentioned along with Ducks and Teal by 

 Le Jeune in 1635, and without doubt the Brant which is thus called 

 both by the Canadian French (Clapin) and by the Acadians to this 

 day (fide A. C. Smith). Thwaites' Jesuit Relations wrongly translates 

 it Osprey. I presume this word and Brant ai'e connected etymologi- 

 cally. 



Bête à la grand Dent. — See Chevaulx de Mer. 



Biche. — French name of the Hind, that is the female of the Cerf, or Stag. 

 Used by Champlain in 1603, apparently for the female of his Cerf, which 

 in all probability was the Wapiti. According to Thompson Seton the 

 French Canadians thus use the name to this day. 



Bièvre, or Byeure. — Old French name for the European Beaver, transferred 

 to the American species. Used first by Cartier in 1535, in the form 

 hyeures. This form, however, did not persist, for Champlain used the 

 other French name. Castor, which thenceforth came into universal use 



Sec. II , 190!». 15. 



