LOZERE  , a

department of south-eastern France belonging to the central plateau, composed of almost the whole of Gevaudan and of some portions of the old dioceses of Uzes and Alais, districts all formerly included in the province of Languedoc . Pop . (1906) 128,016 . Area, 1999 sq. m . It is bounded N. by Cantal and Haute-Loire, E. by Ardeche and Gard, S. by Gard and Aveyron and W. by Aveyron and Cantal . Lozere is mountainous throughout and in average elevation is the highest of all the French departments . It has three distinct regions—the Cevennes proper to the south-east, the causses to the south-west and the mountain tracts which occupy the rest of its area . The Cevennes begin (within Lozere) with Mont Aigoual, which rises to a height of more than 5100 ft.; parallel to this are the mountains of Bouges, bold and bare on their southern face, but falling gently with wooded slopes towards the Tarn which roughly limits the Cevennes on the north . To the north of the Tarn is the range of Lozere, including the peak of Finiels, the highest point of the department (5584 ft.) . Farther on occurs the broad marshy plateau of Montbel, which drains southward to the Lot, northwards to the Allier, eastward by the Chassezac to the Ardeche . From this plateau extend the mountains of La Margeride, undulating granitic tablelands partly clothed with woods of oak, beech and fir, and partly covered with pastures, to which flocks are brought from lower Eanguedoc in summer . The highest point (Truc de Randon) reaches 5098 ft .

Adjoining the Margeride hills on the west is the volcanic range of Aubrac, a

pastoral district where horned cattle take the place of sheep; themselves in the neighbouring nipa swamps, either preparing the nipa leaves for use in house construction, or distilling " nipawine " from the juice secured by tapping the blossom stalks . The language is Pampangan .