Apparently the bear stood higher in favour with the old heralds. The family of Fitzurse charge their shield with a single bear passant, the Barnards have a bear "rampant and muzzled," whilst the Beresfords' bear is both "muzzled and collared." The Berwycks bear a bear's head, "erased and muzzled," and three bears' heads appear in the arms of the Langham, Brock, and Pennarth families. A wolf is borne by Sir Edward Lowe of Wilts, Sir Daniel Dun, and by the Woods of Islington. A wolf's head appears very early in armorial bearings; Hugh, surnamed Lupus, Earl of Chester and nephew of William I., used a wolf's head as his badge. CHAPTER VII ANIMAL CHARGES (_continued_) After "ravenous fierce beastes," we come to dogs, foxes, cats, squirrels, etc. Sporting dogs are very favourite charges, and are frequently termed _talbots_ in heraldry.[1] [Footnote 1: Some writers consider that the term "talbot" was restricted to a mastiff, but sporting dogs--foxhounds, harriers, beagles, etc.--were certainly occasionally blazoned as talbots.] (A mastiff with short ears was termed an _alant_.) The Carricks and Burgoynes bear one talbot on their shield, whilst the Talbot family have three talbots passant. The Earl of Perth has a "sleuthhound, collared and leashed" for his crest; that of the Biscoe family is a greyhound seizing a hare. A dog chasing another animal must be blazoned either "in full course" or "in full chase." A foxhound nosing the ground is described as "a hound on scent." The fox rarely figures in heraldry. One Kadrod-Hard of Wales bore two "reynards counter salient," and "the Wylies do bear that wylie beast, the fox"; whilst three foxes' heads erased are borne respectively by the Foxes of Middlesex and one Stephen Fox, of Wilts. A fox's face is blazoned a "mask." Cats occur fairly often in heraldry. "Roger Adams and John Hills, both of the City of London," we are told, "bear cats"; Sir Jonathan Keats charges three "cats-a-mountain"--wild cats--upon his shield, as also do the Schives of Scotland; the Dawson-Damer's crest is a tabby cat with a rat in her mouth. She would be blazoned as _preying_. The dog, fox, and cat have each their typical meaning in heraldry. The dog symbolizes courage, fidelity, affection, and sagacity; the fox, great wit and cunning; the cat, boldness, daring, and extraordinary foresight, so that whatever happens she always falls on her feet. She was formerly the emblem of liberty, and was borne on the banners of the ancient Alans and Burgundians to show that they brooked no servitude. The squirrel is rather a favourite charge, notably in the arms of landed gentry--such as the Holts, Woods, Warrens--because the little nut-cracker is typical of parks and woodland property. It occurs either singly or in pairs or trios. It is always represented _sejant_, and usually cracking nuts, as seen in the arms of the Nuthall family.