_Arms of Dominion or Sovereignty_ are properly the arms of the kings or sovereigns of the territories they govern, which are also regarded as the arms of the State. Thus the Lions of England and the Russian Eagle are the arms of the Kings of England and the Emperors of Russia, and cannot properly be altered by a change of dynasty. _Arms of Pretension_ are those of kingdoms, provinces, or territories to which a prince or lord has some claim, and which he adds to his own, though the kingdoms or territories are governed by a foreign king or lord: thus the Kings of England for many ages quartered the arms of France in their escutcheon as the descendants of Edward III., who claimed that kingdom, in right of his mother, a French princess. _Arms of Concession_ are arms granted by sovereigns as the reward of virtue, valour, or extraordinary service. All arms granted to subjects were originally conceded by the Sovereign. _Arms of Community_ are those of bishoprics, cities, universities, academies, societies, and corporate bodies. _Arms of Patronage_ are such as governors of provinces, lords of manors, &c., add to their family arms as a token of their superiority, right, and jurisdiction. _Arms of Family_, or paternal arms, are such as are hereditary and belong to one particular family, which none others have a right to assume, nor can they do so without rendering themselves guilty of a breach of the laws of honour punishable by the Earl Marshal and the Kings at Arms. The assumption of arms has however become so common that little notice is taken of it at the present time. _Arms of Alliance_ are those gained by marriage. _Arms of Succession_ are such as are taken up by those who inherit certain estates by bequest, entail, or donation. SHIELDS, TINCTURES, FURS, &c. The _Shield_ contains the field or ground whereon are represented the charges or figures that form a coat of arms. These were painted on the shield before they were placed on banners, standards, and coat armour; and wherever they appear at the present time they are painted on a plane or superficies resembling a shield. [Illustration: Escutcheon] [Illustration: Lozenge] Shields in Heraldic language are called Escutcheons or Scutcheons, from the Latin word _scutum_. The forms of the shield or field upon which arms are emblazoned are varied according to the taste of the painter. The Norman pointed shield is generally used in Heraldic paintings in ecclesiastical buildings: the escutcheons of maiden ladies and widows are painted on a lozenge-shaped shield. Armorists distinguish several points in the escutcheon in order to determine exactly the position of the bearings or charges. They are denoted in the annexed diagram, by the first nine letters of the alphabet ranged in the following manner: [Illustration]