INSECTS
The insect which is most usually met with in heraldry is undoubtedly the
_Bee_. Being considered, as it is, the symbol of industry, small wonder
that it has been so frequently adopted. It is usually represented as if
displayed upon the shield, and it is then termed volant, though of course
the real term which will sometimes be found used is "volant _en arrière_"
(Fig. 485). It occurs in the arms of Dore, Beatson, Abercromby, Samuel, and
Sewell, either as a charge or as a crest. Its use, however, as a crest is
slightly more varied, inasmuch as it is found walking in profile, and with
its wings elevated, and also perched upon a thistle as in the arms of
Ferguson. A bee-hive "with bees diversely volant" occurs in the arms of
Rowe, and the popularity of the bee in British armory is doubtless due to
the frequent desire to perpetuate the fact that the foundation of a house
has been laid by business industry. The fact that the bee was adopted as a
badge by the Emperor Napoleon gave it considerable importance in French
armory, inasmuch as he assumed it for his own badge, and the mantle and
pavilion around the armorial bearings of the Empire were semé of these
insects. They also appeared upon his own coronation mantle. He adopted them
under the impression, which may or may not be correct, that they had at one
time been the badge of Childeric, father of Clovis. The whole story
connected with their assumption by Napoleon has been a matter of much
controversy, and little purpose would be served by going into the matter
here, but it may be added that Napoleon changed the fleur-de-lis upon the
chief in the arms of Paris to golden bees upon a chief of gules, and a
chief azure, semé of bees or, was added as indicative of their rank to the
arms of "Princes-Grand-Dignitaries of the Empire." A bee-hive occurs as the
crest of a family named Gwatkin, and also upon the arms of the family of
Kettle of Wolverhampton.
[Illustration: FIG. 485.--Bee volant.]
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_The Grasshopper_ is most familiar as the crest of the family of Gresham,
and this is the origin of the golden grasshoppers which are so constantly
met with in the city of London. "Argent, a chevron sable between three
grasshoppers vert" is the coat of arms of Woodward of Kent. Two of them
figure in the arms of Treacher, which arms are now quartered by Bowles.
_Ants_ are but seldom met with. "Argent, six ants, three, two, and one
sable," is a coat given by Papworth to a family of the name of Tregent;
"Vert, an ant argent," to Kendiffe; and "Argent, a chevron vert between
three beetles proper" are the arms attributed by the same authority to a
family named Muschamp. There can be little doubt, however, that these
"beetles" should be described as flies.
_Butterflies_ figure in the arms of Papillon ["Azure, a chevron between
three butterflies volant argent"] and in the arms of Penhellicke ["Sable,
three butterflies volant argent"].
_Gadflies_ are to be found in a coat of arms for the name of Adams ["Per
pale argent and gules, a chevron between three gadflies counterchanged"],
and also in the arms of Somerscales, quartered by Skeet of Bishop
Stortford. "Sable, a hornet argent" is one blazon for the arms of Bollord
or Bolloure, but elsewhere the same coat is blazoned: "Sable, a harvest-fly
in pale volant en arrière argent." Harvest flies were the charges on the
arms of the late Sir Edward Watkin, Bart.
_Crickets_ appear in the arms ["azure, a fire chest argent, flames proper,
between three crickets or"] recently granted to Sir George Anderson
Critchett, Bart.
The arms of Bassano (really of foreign origin and not an English coat) are:
"Per chevron vert and argent, in chief three silkworm flies palewise _en
arrière_, and in base a mulberry branch all counterchanged." "Per pale
gules and azure, three stag-beetles, wings extended or," is assigned by
Papworth to the Cornish family of Dore, but elsewhere these charges (under
the same family name) are quoted as bees, gadflies, and flies. "Or, three
spiders azure" is quoted as a coat for Chettle. A spider also figures as a
charge on the arms of Macara. The crest of Thorndyke of Great Carleton,
Lincolnshire, is: "On a wreath of the colours a damask rose proper, leaves
and thorns vert, at the bottom of the shield a beetle or scarabæus proper."
Woodward, in concluding his chapter upon insects, quotes the arms of the
family of Pullici of Verona, viz.: "Or, semé of fleas sable, two bends
gules, surmounted by two bends sinister of the same." {262}