HORITES. 211 HORN. 30). They were smitten by Chcdorlaomer and the kings of the East when they attacked Sodom in the days of Abraham (Gen. xiv. C; Deut. ii. 12-22). They were overcome, and perhaps ab- sorbed, by the Edomites. The name Horite has usually been explained to mean 'cave-dwellers,' but this is doubtful. See Edom. , HORI'ZON (Lat. horizon, from Gk. opifwv, pres. part, of oplj^av, horizein, to bound, from opoj, horos, boundary). (1) In popular lan- guage, the circular line formed by the apparent meeting of earth and sky. Astronomers call this the sensible horizon, distinguishing it from the rational horizon, i.e. the circle formed by a plane passing through the centre of the earth, perpendicular to the plumb-line, and produced to meet the heavens. (2) A term in geology, referring to a bed or beds which are character- ized by some special forms of fossils found in them. HORLA, Sr'la', Le. A story dealing with madness, by Guy de Maupassant (1S87), who himself became insane in 1892. HORMAYR, hor'mir. .Joseph, Baron (1782- 184S). An Au-^trian historian, born at Inns- bruck, lie studied law at the University of Innsbruck, and afterwards entered the ilinistry of Foreign Affairs at Vienna. In collaboration with Archduke John, he published a number of pamphlets against Xapokon, and in 1809, as intendant in the army commanded by John, he incited the popular uprisings in the Tyrol. Vorarlberg, and Salzburg. After the truce of Znaim he returned to Vienna and devoted him- self to historical work until his unauthorized attempt io stir up another revolt among the Tyrolese led to his being arrested at Metternich's command. On his release the Emperor made him Court historiographer, but his imprisonment had so imbittered him against ^letternich that in 1828 he accepted the position of Councilor in the Bavarian Jlinistry of Foreign Affairs. Four years afterwards he was sent to Hanover to represent the Bavarian Government, and in 1839 was transferred to Bremen, and then was given charge of the Government archives at Jlunich. His intimate connection with public men and events during one of the most interest- ing periods of European history gives a peculiar value to his writings, many of which deal with suhiects of which he had a first-hand knowledge. His publications include: AUr/emeine Getchichte der neuesten Zeit, vom Tode Friedrichs des Crossen his zum ziceiien Pari.ter Fricden (1817- 19; 2d ed. 1831) ; the much criticised hut highly entertaining Lebenshilder aus dem Befreiungs- Icriepr (1841-44) ; and Das Land Tirol und der Tirolrrkrirn von 1809 (1845). HORMIZD, hnr'mist, or ORMAZD. The name of several kings of Persia. See S.ssaxid.E. HOR'MOGOIJTA (Xeo-Lat. nom. pi., from Gk. Sp^o!. hormos, chain + ySnitos, tjonimos. prodrictive. from -ySms, gonos, seed). Portions of tlip filaments of blue-green alga> that separate to form a new plant. See CT.ixopnvrE.E. HTORTHOS (Gk. SpMot, chain). A Greek war dance supposed to have been invented bv Ly- curgus. Like most of the other Greek dances, it was danced in a long line which wound in and out. The performers were youths and mai- dens, and the leader of the line played on a lyre to which the steps were timed. The figures which the men danced were wild and warlike, and they were followed by the girls, who danced gracefully and quietly, in contrast to the ex- aggerated steps of the men. The name was also applied to an ancient Scotch dance. HORN (AS., Icel., OHG. horn, Ger. Horn, Goth, haurn. Runic liornu, horn: connected with Ir., Welsh corn, Galatian Kipvov, karnon, Lat. cor- >i«, horn, and ultimately with Gk. K„pas, keras, Skt. irnga, horn, as well as with Lat. cervtis. AS. hcorot, Eng. hart). (1) A modification of the cuticle observable in man and most other ver- tebrated animals; and (2) a special adaptation of this substance to form appendages of the head in certain mammals. The word has many other applications, more or less remote from this, in zoijlogy as elsewhere. Thus the chitinous ma- terial of the harder parts of insects is frequently termed 'horn,' whereas the tortoise-shell, which is truly of this nature, is rarely so designated. The projections from the prothorax of 'stag' and other beetles, the feelers or ovipositors of other insects, the eye-stalks of snails, frontal feathers (plumicoms) of owls, the projecting front teeth of the narwhal, etc.. are frequently called 'horns,' though all are different in both substance and function from the true horns to which this article is restricted. X.TUBE AND Service of Horx. Horn is the connective tissue of the epidermis hardened and thickened, and in some cases mixed with, or composed of, agglutinated hairs. Its purpose is to form a resisting or protective surface, or a tough tool or weapon. The whole, or principal part, of the epidermis may become of this nature, as is the ca.se in the hide of armadillos and the scaly ant-eaters, ancient and modern, in serpents and lizards (whose scales are horny), and in the turtles which supply tortoise-shell i q.v. ) . In the higher ranks it constitutes the 'whalebone' developed from the palate of the baleen-bearing whales ; becomes the protective sheath of the mandibles forming the serviceable beaks of birds and turtles; and. by more or less completely en- sheathing and extending the outermost bone of each digit, forms nails, claws, and hoofs (see Nau), strengthening and arming the fingers and toes of such reptiles as have feet, of all birds, and of all the mammals except whales. Horn enters also into spurs on the legs and other parts of certain animals, forms one or more shields, or weapons, or both, on the head; and callosities elsewhere, such as on the heel of man (and the 'corns' on his toes), the knees of camels, etc.. as use and habit call for a hardening of the cuticle to resist wear and relieve pressure. Further particulars as to these structures will be found in the article Bird (the beak) : Ixtegumext: N.^ii, (nails, claws, hoofs, spurs, etc.) : Skele- ton; SxAKE (scales, rattle, etc.); Tobtoise- SUELL; Tl-RTLE; and Under HoR.Ns. The chemi- cal composition of the various horny tissues is exhibited in the table on the follow ing page. These tissues differ slightly in the quantity of inorganic matter which they contain, but the difference does not vary much bovfind 1 per cent. Hair yields from 0..54 to 1.85 per cent, of ash. containing among other ingredients, peroxide of iron and a little silica. In feathers, the quantity of silica is very considerable, and it is doubtless to this constituent that the shaft in a great measure owes its strength and hardness.
