Martlet
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Current revision
- Note that the British version of the F4F Wildcat was initially called the Martlet.
A martlet is a type of heraldic bird similar to the swallow, but having short tufts of feathers in the place of legs. (Swifts have such small legs that they were believed to have none at all.) In addition to being a constantly-occurring charge, it is the cadency mark of the fourth son.
The arms of Westminster Abbey and Westminster School, purportedly based on Edward the Confessor's, include five golden martlets. McGill University's arms include three martlets as do those of the University of Victoria. The inability of the martlet to land is often seen to symbolize the constant quest for knowledge and learning. The crest of the county of Sussex, England is made up of six martlets, said to represent the six traditional rapes (administrative sub-divisions) of the county.
The Martlet is the University of Victoria's student newspaper.