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.
[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.
Fig. 43.
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.
Eagles are of such wide and constant occurrence in heraldry that we cannot attempt to do justice to them here. A single eagle is borne by the Earls of Dalhousie and Southesk, and by seven families of Bedingfield. A double-headed eagle was rather a favourite charge, and coats of arms displaying as many as six eagles are very commonly met with. But an eagle blazoned "close" is a rare charge.[5] Parts of an eagle, such as head, wings, talons, and legs often appear in armorial bearings as separate charges. Ostrich feathers, by the way, are also introduced into heraldry, but the ostrich itself is of very seldom occurrence.[6] Its introduction into heraldry, dates from the time of the Crusaders, when Europeans first saw the bird. An ostrich is usually represented with a horseshoe in its mouth, because it was a popular idea that an ostrich could digest iron.[7] In Sir Titus Salt's arms we find a demi-ostrich holding a horseshoe in its beak. Lord Churston's shield is supported on the right by an ostrich with a horseshoe in its beak, as is Lord Carysfort's, but his ostrich is represented with a key in its beak.