be shaded by blinds at pleasure, unless it is well sheltered by creeping plants without, and should be provided with wooden shutters for the winter. Within the aviary there should be a small fountain playing in the centre, with a basin for the birds to drink and bathe in, and plenty of dwarf shrubs and creepers for them to build and hide in. It is best to keep these in pots when practicable, in order to change them for fresh shrubs when they become spoiled. The seed should be put in bird-hoppers against the wall, and there should be shelves and perches for the birds to roost on, and in the breeding season, wicker baskets and boxes for them to build in. The floor of the aviary must be kept covered with sand and small gravel, and old mortar well dried and bruised is good for the birds also. Of course, anything belonging to the aviary must be as clean as possible, and the water always fresh and cool. In fitting up aviaries or cages, the natural habits and tastes of the birds which are to live in them must be carefully considered their comfort is sometimes sacrificed to ornament—and they should always have shade as well as sunshine provided for them, and snug corners for those who love retirement. Care must be taken to exclude fog and damp, and in sweeping out the aviary, to avoid raising much dust, from which the sensitive lungs of many of the birds would suffer exceedingly. The air from a close stove or any noxious gas, too, would cause them much discomfort, if it did not stop their respiration altogether, so that means must be taken to secure good ventilation. If we keep birds in captivity at all, it is our bounden duty to keep them as healthy and happy as possible; and unless we are well acquainted with their several wants and characteristic tastes, we cannot expect them to be our fond familiar friends, or to delight us with the exhibition of their natural beauties and talents. We must love our little prisoners and consult their happiness if we would entice them to treat us as friends, rather than jailers. HINTS ON HERALDRY. The science of Heraldry was formerly of much more importance than it is now it was part of the education of every well-born person; and "even in the present day," as Mr. Warren observes in the article on Illumination, "the education of a gentleman or lady can scarcely be complete without an elementary knowledge" of the Noble Science, as it was called in former ages. Illumination has also rendered it important that a lady should be able to read the colours of a shield and its bearings from the lines which indicate them, and that she should know how to draw ancestral arms from a description. Thus much help we are able to give in the space allowed for Heraldry in the HOME BOOK. For any further knowledge of this amusing science we must refer our readers to works on the subject, assuring them that many a curious fact in history, many a gallant deed, and many romantic incidents are recorded pictorially in the arms left to us by those who won and wore them in the ages long ago. We need scarcely tell the educated young lady of the nineteenth century that "arms" owed their origin to the emblazoned shield of the mediæval knight, which served to identify him during battle in the eyes of his followers, when face and figure were disguised and hidden in his armour. Therefore the word "heraldry" is derived from the German Heer, a host or army, and Held, a champion; and the word "blazon" from Blazen, to blow a horn, as heralds were wont to do when a champion entered the lists at a tournament, declaring at the same time what the bearings on his shield were, that he might be recognized by the spectators. As armour ceased to be used, heraldry lost a great portion of its importance; the practical need for it was gone, but it was retained on plate, seals, carriages, &c., as a mark of good descent; and the preservation and knowledge of these hereditary arms were sometimes of immense importance. At a great trial to ascertain the rightful heir to a peerage, one of the principal links in the chain of evidence was found in his crest and arms.-But it is time we began our brief notice of the terms and signs of this most ancient science. First we must observe that the ground on which a coat of arms is painted is called the SHIELD, a shield being the first object on which armorial bearings were painted. The heraldic shield is usually of this form The side opposite to the left hand of the person looking at it is called the dexter or right side; the side opposite to her right hand is called the sinister or left side. We have put the names on the shield annexed, to show more perfectly what we mean. DEXTER SINISTER The shield has certain points on its surface bearing special names, so that any "bearing" may be put in the right place by a verbal direction, these points fixing the exact spot where an object in the arms may be placed. The points are 1. Fess point..... 9. Sinister base Exact centre of the shield. In the left hand corner. Refer by numbers to shield below. Thus, if you were desired by an heraldic blazon to put a star on the fess 34-2 point, you would know that it meant the exact centre of the shield,-and so on. Shield Or. Shield Argent. TINCTURES OR COLOURS are expressed by lines, and metals by dots, or by a pure white shield. There are two metals and seven colours belonging to heraldry. The metals are gold, termed Or, expressed by dots, and silver, or Argent, by a plain shield. Gules or red is represented by perpendicular lines. Purpure. Vert or Green, by diagonal lines from the dexter chief to the sinister base. Purpure or Purple is represented by diagonal lines from the sinister chief to the dexter base. Sable or Black, by perpendicular and horizontal lines crossing each other all over the shield. Tenny or Orange, by diagonal lines from the sinister chief to the dexter base point, traversed by horizontal lines. Sanguine or Blood-colour, by diagonal lines from the dexter chief and sinister chief crossing each other. In correct heraldic descriptions the shields of sovereigns are emblazoned by giving the names of planets to the colours, thus Or is called Sol Gules is called Mars Azure Sable وو دو دو Saturn Vert Purpure is called Mercury Jupiter Tenny Dragon's head The tinctures on the arms of nobles are designated by the names of pre cious stones, thus With regard to the ROUNDLET, the colours influence its name; for example-if the roundlet is of Or, it is called a Bezant Gules, called Torteaux Sable, called Pellet Argent, Azure, Plate Vert, These names will signify a roundlet of each especial colour. FURS. Four furs are also used in heraldry. into the forms of little bells, ranged in rows opposite to each other, the base of the white being next to that of the blue. The cut, at the side shows the heraldic fur, Vair. Vair is usually of six rows: if there are more or fewer, The shield is sometimes plain and of one tincture; more frequently it is divided into portions by lines, which, according to their forms, are thus named: It would be well for the young student of heraldry to draw these lines several times, so that when she meets in a blazon of arms with the mention of a line wavy, engrailed, &c., she may at once be able to depict it. DIVISIONS OF THE SHIELD. Parted per Pale. Parted per Fess. Parted per Bend. Per Bond sinister. If the shield be divided exactly in halves by a perpendicular line, it is said to be parted per pale. If divided by a horizontal line through the centre, per fess. If by a diagonal line from the dexter corner to the sinister base, it is said to be parted per bend. If it is parted by a diagonal line from the sinister corner to the dexter base, it is said to be parted per bend sinister. If the field is divided into four equal parts by any of the lines described above, it is said to be quartered. This may be done two ways-i. e., by a perpendicular and horizontal line crossing each other at the centre of the shield, when it is said to be quartered per Cross; or by two diagonal lines from the dexter and sinister corners crossing each other in the centre of the field: it is then said to be quartered per Saltier. The shield is often divided into many parts, in order to place in it the arms of several families allied to each other; it is then called quarterly, or a genealogical achievement. Our young readers have doubtless heard of the sixteen quarterings required to be possessed by those desirous of entering the Court circle of Vienna. If a gentleman marries an heiress, her arms are borne in a small inescutcheon or shield, called an escutcheon of pretence, exactly in the centre of the shield, on fess point; as the arms of Hanover used to be in those of England, and as shown in the engraving. The chief forms borne on shields are called HONOURABLE ORDINARIES, and are-The Chief The Pale The Bend The Cheveron The Cross The Bend sinister The Saltier With their several diminutives. The Fess The Bar Chief Pale. Bend. Bend sinister. |