One family of Shelleys bears three "house-snails" so termed in
heraldry to imply that they carry their shells. A type of deliberation
in business matters and perseverance is supposed to be furnished by
the common snail.
The "creatures that live above the earth"--_i.e._, having wings--come
next.
[Illustration: FIG. 42.]
Various heraldic terms are in use for blazoning bird charges--viz.:
A bird _flying_ is "volant" (Fig. 42); _preparing to fly_, is "rising"
(Fig. 44); when _its wings are spread open_, they are "displayed";
when _folded_, they are "close (see Fig. 43)." Birds of prey and
barn-door cocks are "armed." Thus, the eagle is blazoned as "armed of
his beak and talons"; the cock as "armed of his beak and spurs"; he is
also blazoned as "combed and jellopped"--that is, with his crest and
wattles. An eagle or any other bird of prey devouring its prey is
described as "preying." In blazoning a very old eagle, the French
heralds use a special term, _pamé_;[4] our English equivalent would
be "exhausted," thereby alluding to the popular notion that with
advancing age an eagle's beak becomes so hooked that it is unable to
take any nourishment, and so dies of inanition. Birds that have web
feet and no talons are usually blazoned "membred." A swan with
her wings raised is said to be "expansed"; a peacock with his tail
displayed is said to be "in his pride" (Fig. 45); with folded tail he
is a peacock "close." A pelican feeding her young is a "pelican in her
piety" (see Plate III.); when wounding her breast, she is said to be
"vulning." The crane is another bird which enjoys a blazoning term
which is all its own--namely, "a crane in its vigilance." It is so
described when, as in the Cranstoun arms, it is represented holding a
stone in its foot. This charge refers to the old myth, that a crane
on duty as a sentinel always holds a stone in its foot, so that in the
event of its dropping asleep the sound of the falling stone may act as
an alarum.
[Footnote 4: The word _pamé_ should be restricted to an
expiring fish.]
Falcons are blazoned "armed, jessed and belled." A falcon is usually
called "goshawk" in heraldry.
Swans, geese, ducks, and other web-footed birds occur rarely in
heraldry. The Moore family bear one swan, the Mellishes two, and three
swans' necks are charged upon the Lacys' shield. One, John Langford,
bears a single wild goose. Three wild duck volant appear in the arms
of the Woolrich family. Three drakes--a very favourite charge--are
borne by the Yeos. The Starkeys bear one stork, the Gibsons three.
Three herons occur in the arms of Heron, one kingfisher in those of
one, Christopher Fisher (Fig. 43). Viscount Cullen, whose family
name is Cockayne, bears three cocks; three capons are borne by the
Caponhursts; whilst, drolly enough, three cocks are borne by the Crow
family. The Alcocks bear three cocks' heads.
[Illustration: FIG. 43.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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