All charges and bearings on shields should be shown flat except
Fretty, a small fret repeated, also interlaced.
Roundels in colour, which should be shown as hemispherical. They doubtless represent the bosses on a shield. The metal roundels, however, the Bezant of gold, and the Plate of silver, no doubt represent coins, and are shown flat; and that Cadency marks may correctly be represented, as in relief on a shield.
Heraldic charges are numerous, and if any prolonged investigation is likely to be required their names and forms will have to be learnt. But a few of the commoner charges may well be explained here, as such explanation may possibly in many cases save a long search.
[Illustration: A <i>Dragon</i> is a monster with scales all over him; he has four legs ending in eagle's talons and a spear-head at the end of his tail, his wings are like the wings of a bat, with a claw at the end of each rib.]
[Illustration: A <i>Griffin</i> has the head, front legs, and wings of an eagle, and the hind-quarters of a lion.]
[Illustration: A <i>Wyvern</i> has a dragon's head and wings, with two eagle's legs, his tail is curled round itself and ends in a spear-point. He is scaly all over.]
A _Cockatrice_ is a Wyvern with a cock's head.
A _Basilisk_ is a cockatrice with its tail ending in a dragon's head.
A _Lion_ shows one eye, one ear, and stands upon one foot, rampant. He has a mane, and his tail has a tuft at the end, and he shows no spots. If a lion is otherwise depicted it must be mentioned in the blazon. A lion showing two eyes and two ears is a lion "Leopardé."
A _Leopard_ shows two eyes and two ears; he has no mane and his tail is not tufted. He should show spots and be "nowhere shaggy." If he only shows one eye and one ear he is a leopard "Lionné."
Most of the other animals explain themselves, but there are a few curious charges, no doubt survivals of common forms, which also retain their ancient heraldic names, and these forms and names are useful to remember; among them the following occur perhaps most frequently:--
Heraldic Shields changed their forms at different periods, but it is not necessary to trouble much about that here, as coats-of-arms on books are always simple in shape. But it may be noted that unmarried ladies or widows show their arms in the form of a Lozenge. Guillim says, "This form is derived from the fusil, or spindle for yarn, single women being called spinsters." The lozenge is an inconvenient form, and it is broadened out whenever possible. When a wife's coat is shown on an escutcheon of Pretence in the centre of her husband's shield, it loses its lozenge form.