HOOPOE. 198 HOOSICK FALLS. upupa, hoopoe). One of a small and singular group of birds of the warmer parts of the Old World, which take both their coninion and sys- tematic names (genus Upupa. family I'pupidie) from their cry. In this family the bill is long and slender, the wings of moderate size or short, the legs short, the toes lon;^. and the claws strong and curved. The common European hoopoe {Upupa cpops) is an .frican bird, visit- ing in summer most parts of Europe and Asia, but rare in Oreat Britain. It is about the size of a blue jay; its plumage e.xhibits a fine mix- ture of white, bufr, and black, and it has -i large crest of two iiarallcl rows of feathers. Its strange appearance and habits have caused it to figure largely in European legend and folklore. It gets its food chiefly on the ground, and its peculiar notes are .said to be made by striking the bill on the ground as the note is uttered. The nest is made in a hole in a tree or wall, and the eggs are white. The hoopoes were formerly thought to be related to the crows, but it is now gen- erally a<lmitted that their nearest relatives are the hombills. although they are apparently so ditTcreiit. .
extensive account of the curious
and interesting traits of this bird is given in the Jtoynl yaturnl Jlistorji. vol. iv. (London, 18S5). See RiRn for other authorities. See Plate of Tno<;oNs. Hoopoe, etc. Woon-llooroE. The l)irds of the family Irisori- da-. which arc fiiuml in J^jUth .frica. are nearly related apparently to the Upupida?. and are known as wmxlhoopoes. They are arboreal, have a glossy blackish plumage, no crest, and a long graduated tail. They are said to be noisy and restless birds, and to climb al)Out on trees like wooilpeekers. Like the true hoopoes, they emit a stmnir. disagreeable smell. HOOPS, HOOP-SKIRT. See Crixolint:. HOOPSNAKE. A small snake (Ahnstor ery- thrnfinimnnix) of the South Atlantic States, foolishly feared by the negroes, who say it vill put its tail in its mouth, stifTen its body, and roll along like a honp. aiming to let go of its sting- tipped tail and dart it into the first person it meets. Similar stories are told of a closely related species, the wampini-snake (Fnrnncia nbnctirii). common in swampy groimd in the South; and both are called 'horn-snakes.' In fact both species are perfectly harmless, and spend most of their time beneath the ground, burrow- ing deeply into the soil. The former is blue-black above, marked with three red lines, and flesh- colored below, with black spots; while the latter is uniform bluish black above and banded with red on the abdomen. HOOBN, horn. A seaport of the Netherlands, in the Province of Xorth llnlland. situated on the Honrncrhop. a bay of the Zuyder Zee. 2.5 miles northeast of .Amsterdam (Map: Xetherlands. D 2). It is a typical old Dutch town, and has several quaint buildings, among them the Harbor Tower, the town hall, and the courthouse. other notable edifices are the museum and the Ciroote Kerk (great church), the latter with a monument to -Ulmiral Floriszoon. Hoorn wbla formerly one of the richest towns in Holland, the great nets for the herring fishery being employed here as early a.s 141U. It has now a considerable trade in <lairy products, and also some ship- building, lloorn is the birthplace of the navi- gator Villcm Schouteu, who named Cape Horn after his native town. Population, in 1889, 11,- 033; in 18'.M), 10,714. HOORNE, HOORN, HORN, or HORNES, Puil-U'l't llli -Mu.M.MOKt.NtV .Nt tLt, tMlllil of (c.l518-ti8). A Flemish .statesman and soldier, bom at Xevele. Trained to arms luider Charles v., he distinguished himself in the war against the Schmalkaldie League and later accompanied Philip II. on bis travels in Germany. Italy. Spain, and England. At the battle of Saint- (^ucntin (1557) Hoome did brilliant service as commander of the artillery. Later he accom- panied Philip to Spain, but in 1301 returned to Brussels, as councilor of State. In this capacity he sided with Egmont and the Prince of Orange in opi>osition to Cardinal (!ran- vella and the Spanish party. He urged on Margaret of Parma to a policy of concession, anil having been sent to Tournay to rei>.stablish order there, he .showed a spirit of toleration which won for him the regard of the patriotic party, but increased the animosity of the I'ltra- montanes. The failure of Egmont (ij.v. ) and Hoome to throw in their lot with the Spanish party was, however, fatal. When the Duke of Alva arrived the two noblemen were treacher- ously seized, and after an illegnl trial liefore the Council of Blood, were executed in the great square of Bruss<ds, .June 5, 1568. Besides the contemporary chronicles, consult: .luste, Le comic d'Eiimonl tl le comic de llornea (Brussels, 18G3) ; and the popular account by Schiller. "The Trial and Execution of Counts Egmont and Horn." in his Historical Works (London, 1847) ; also the histories by Motley and others, cited unilrr Nktiikui.axiis. HOO'SAC MOXTNTAINS. A spur of the Green Mountain Hange in west Massaehu.setts, extending 10 miles north and south on the east side of the valley of the I'ppcr Hoosac (Map: Massachusetts, A 2). The Hoosac rail- way tunnel (see Tinxel), which pierces Hoosac Jlountain. is the largest tunnel in America. HOOSAC RIVER. A river of Vermont and Xcw York Slates, rising in IVrkshire Coimty. Mass.. and after a north and northwest course flowing into the Hudson, 15 miles north of Troy (Map: Vermont. A 10). In New York State it is known as the Hoosick. HOOSE, hooz or hoos. A cattle di.sea.se due to the prcsi'nce of ])arasites in the bronchial tulies. HOO'SICK FALLS. A village in Rensselaer County, X. Y., 27 miles northeast of Troy; on the Hoos.ac ( Hoosick 1 River, and on the Boston and ^faine Railroad (Map: New York. G 3). It has extensive manufactures of agricultural imple- ments, cotton and woolen goods, shirts, paper, and paper-making machinery. Settled in 1088. Hoo- sick Falls was incorporated first in 1827. Under a charter of 1984. revised in 1890. the village is governed by a president, chosen every three years, and a board of trustees, elected from their re-
