Herb

[Fr. her be; It. erba; Lat. herb a; akin to Gr. pherbo, to feed, to nourish.] ( Bot. ) A plant with a soft or succulent stalk or stem, which bears its flower and fruit once only, and then with its root wholly perishes. There are two kinds: annuals, which perish the same year; and biennials, which have their leaves the first year, and their flowers and fruit the second, and then dieaway. The term is also extended to plants which live and blo om during an unlimited number of years, but which die every year in the ground, or near it. They are called Perennial herbs. Herbaceous, ( her - bā'shus ,) a. [Lat. herbaceus .] Pertaining or relating to, or po e ing the nature of herbs; as, an herbaceous plant. - Herbivorous; feeding on herbs. (R.) Herbage, ( herb'āj,) n. [Fr. and Sp.] Herbs collec tively; gra ; pasture; green fodder for beasts. fixed at three, their present number, by Henry VIII., and in 1528 a regular commi ion was granted for the whole kingdom, for heraldic visitation, after which period the county visitations were conducted with more system and regularity. The officers of Heralds' College are the Duke of Norfolk, hereditary Earl Marshal. Three kings-at-arms- Garter , Clarencieux, and Norroy , - of whom the first holds the highest rank. His duties are chiefly to grant supporters, arrange funerals, coronations, ., and to present the Order of the Garter to foreign princes. The heralds are six in number, viz. - Wind sor, Chester , Lancaster, Somer Fig . 1277. WINDSOR HERALD. set, York , and Richmond ; they, with the kings-at-arms, form the Collegiate Chapter. The four pursuivants, Portcullis , Rouge-Dragon, Blue -Mantle, and Porte- Croiz , are merely probationers, who afterwards succeed to the higher offices. It is the duty of the officers of the college to keep the records of the arms, crests, and cognizances of all persons entitled to coat-armor. They have considerable authority for the purpose of preventing parties (by fines and other penalties) from bearing arms to which they have no right, and are authorized to a ign armorial bearings to persons applying for permi ion to bear them. To obtain an a ignment of arms, it is nece ary to memorialize the Larl Marshal, and the applicant is required to produce evidence that he can sustain the rank of gentry. Persons having an hereditary claim to arms which have been disured for one or more generations, are empowered by the college to resume them on proof and registration of pedigree. The fee for a general search is £2 2s.; for an ordinary search, 5s.; for copying and registering pedigrees, 6s, and 8d. for the first, and 5s. for every other generation. In Ireland Ulster king - at - arms , and in Scotland Lyon king - at - arms , perform the same duties as Garter in England. In Ireland, the fee for a grant of arms is thirty guineas (£31 10s.), and for a confirmation, ten guineas (£10 10s.) Heraldship, n. Office or vocation of a herald. He'rat, a city of Afghanistan, and the capital of an independent state, situated in a plain near the Herirood River, 360 m. W. by N. of Cabul; Lat. 34° 50′ N., Lon. 62° 30 E. It is well fortified, and surrounded by a wet ditch, mound, and bastioned wall. It contains a number of caravans eras, public baths, reservoirs, and numerous "Thin herbage on the plains, and fruitle fields. - Dryden. (Eng. Law .) An easement which consists in the right to pasture cattle on another's ground. Herbaged, (herb'djd,) n. Covered with gra or pas ture. an herbal ointment. -n. A collection of specimens of plants, dried and preserved; an herbarium; a hortus siccus. - A book that contains the names and descriptions of herbs or plants; a dry garden.