228 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Oiseau de proye. — Described by Champlain in 1632 as having one foot like 

 a bird of prey and another like a duck. See Vaultour. 



Orades, or Dorades. — Name of a fish caught at s^a, mentioned by Champlain 

 in connection with his voyage of 1611. This is, of course, the Dorado 

 or Dolphin (the fish, not the cetacean), and probably the same which 

 Denys wrongly compared with the Sturgeon. 



Orfraye. — French nam3 for a screech-owl of Europe, but used by Denys, as 

 his description shows beyond doubt, for the Night Hawk or Virginia 

 Goatsucker. It is remarkable that the name should have been applied 

 to a bird so utterly different from its European namesake. The name 

 has not persisted here, for the Acadians, at least, now call the Night 

 Hawk Furzee and also Bigre (fide A. C. Smith), while the Canadian 

 French call it Mangeur de maringouins, (fide C. E. Dionne). 



Orignac, or Orignal. — Name used by +he French for the Moose. First used 

 by Champlain in 1603, then by Lescarbot in the lorm OrUjnac, and 

 thereafter by many writers. Lescarbot says the word is the Basque 

 name for deer; this explanation has been accepted by Littré. The 

 Basques were early and frequent visitors to our eastern coasts in 

 connection with the fishery and associated much with the French 

 fishermen. The form, Orignal, which is that now used by both Cana- 

 dian and Acadian French, appeared much later, (I do not find it before 

 1700), and has even been given the erroneous form. Original, by some 

 writers. There is every reason, therefore, to believe that Lescarbot is 

 correct as to its origin; and hence Slafter's belief that it was of algon- 

 quian origin and Thompson Seton's that it was the French word Orig- 

 inal, meaning an original or type, are alike incorrect. The French also 

 sometimes called it Eslan, Elan or Elian, that is Elk, the name of its 

 European representative. Lescarbot says the Micmacs called it Ap- 

 taptoti, which must represent the modern Micmac r«2> team, a bull 

 moose (Rand Dictionary). The earliest known picture of the animal 

 is on Lescarbot's map of Port Royal, its identity being proven by its 

 appearance, and confirmed by its presence beside a R. de I'Orignac. 



Orme, Ormeau. — French name for the European Elm, extended to the Amer- 

 ican species. Used by Cartier as ormes blancs, in 1534, and by all others 

 thereafter. 



Ortolan. — French (and English) name for a small edible European Bird 

 which does not occur in America. Applied by Le Clercq in 1691 to a 

 bird of Gaspé which no doubt was the nearest representative of this 

 bird in America, namely the Snow-bunting. This is confirmed by 

 La Hontan's statement about the White Ortolan. The Ortolan was 

 mentioned as occurring at Nepisiguit in 1761 by Smethurst (Collections 

 of the N. B. Historical Society, II, 366), and it is even placed among 

 the Birds of New Brunswick by Cooney in his History of Northern 

 New Brunswick and Gaspé, in 1832, while the Acadian French still 

 use the name for (apparently) the Snow Bunting, according to Dr. A. 

 C. Smith. However, according to Professor Dionne, the Canadian 

 French apply Ortolan to the Shore Lark, while they call the Sno'w 

 Bunting oiseau hlanc. 



