[Illustration:  Counter passant]

Ex.  Or, two lions passant counter passant gules, the uppermost facing the sinister side of the escutcheon, both collared sable, garnished argent.

COUNTER FLORY.  Any ordinary ornamented with fleurs-de-luce:  the points of the flowers run alternately in a contrary direction.

[Illustration:  Counter flory]

Ex.  Or, a pale purpure, flory and counter flory gules.

COUPED. From the French word couper, to cut.  The cross in the example is couped, part of it being cut off, so as not to touch the edges of the shield.

[Illustration:  Couped]

Ex.  Azure, a cross couped argent.

COUPED. The head or limbs of any animal cut close is called couped.

[Illustration:  Couped]

Ex.  Argent, a boar’s head proper couped.

COUPLE-CLOSE.  One of the diminutives of the chevron, half the size of the chevronel.

[Illustration:  Couple-close]

Ex.  Argent, three couple-closes interlaced vert.

COURANT.  Running.

[Illustration:  Courant]

Ex.  Argent, a stag proper courant.

CRENELLE.  The French heraldic term for embattled.  See EMBATTLED.

[Illustration:  Crenelle]

CRESCENT.  The half moon with its horns turned upwards.

[Illustration:  Crescent]

Ex.  Azure, a crescent argent.

CREST. The ornament on the upper part of the helmet in Heraldry placed over coats of arms, either with or without the helmet.  By referring to the title-page of this work the crests of Great Britain will be found with all the adornments of regal helmets.

The English crest is a crown surmounted by a lion statant guardant crowned, or.

The Scottish crest is an imperial crown, surmounted by a lion sejant guardant, displaying two sceptres or.

The Irish crest is an ancient diadem surmounted by an embattled tower, a stag courant issuing from the portal.

The crest of Wales is a dragon passant guardant, gules.—­The whole of these crests, with mantlings, &c., are emblazoned on the title-page of this Manual.

[Illustration:  Crest]

Crests are usually displayed upon a wreath as in the annexed example, which is a demi-lion rampant.  If a crest this size had been placed upon an helmet of proportionate size it must have occupied a sixth part of this page, and the shield containing the arms to be in proportion considerably larger:  in showing the crest without the helmet proportion is of little consequence.  See HELMET, WREATH, and MANTLING.

CRESTED. A cock or other bird, whose comb is of a different tincture from the body, is said to be crested.  See JOWLOPED.

CRINED. This is said of an animal whose hair is of a different tincture from its body.

[Illustration:  Crined]

Ex.  Argent, a mermaid gules, crined or.