KITED STATES). The flags of the British do aninions and colonies differ from those of the mother country by the badge of the colony being placed in the centre bf Union jack Every battalion of infantry in the Brit ish army, except the Rifles, has two colors; namely, the king's color and the regimental color. The former consists, for all regiments, of the union device, with the name of the regi ment in the centre and the number of the bat talion on the tipper part near the staff. The regimental color is of the same color as the collars and facings of the regiment; but if these are white, is bears a Saint George's cross in red. On it are emblazoned the name of the regiment, the names of the battles in which it has served, and its various badges, crests, mottoes, etc. Among cavalry regiments, only the guards, dragoon guards and dragoons have standards, as cavalry flags are termed. These are made of crimson silk, and are emblazoned like those of infantry regiments. The stand ards of the guards and dragoon guards are rec tangular, like those of the infantry, but the dragoons carry standards with the end farthest from the staff rounded and scalloped. The lancers have red and white pennants on their lances.
The standard is the war-flag, and bears the royal or other arms of the nation. Ensigns are flags carried by ships to indicate their national ity. The place for the ensign in a steamer or large ship is on a pole over the taffrail; in schooners and similar ships, at the peak of the main gaff ; in cutters and sloops, at the peak; in yawls, at the mizzen-peak; and in rowing boats, over the stern.
Jacks are national flags used for signaling and various other purposes. Pennants or pendants are small pointed or swallow-tailed flags generally used in connection with signals. The best known is the answering pennant used in the international signal-code. A burgee is a swallow-tailed flag used by yachts and mer chant vessels, with the ship's name on it. Shipping companies generally have square flags with distinctive colors and devices; these are known as house-flags. A plain white flag indicates a clean bill of health: and is also used in war as the flag of truce (q.v.). The quaran tine flag is yellow. Vessels carrying explosives display a red flag. A flag hoisted upside down is a signal of distress, and one borne half-mast high is a sign of mourning. 'Striking the flag is a token of surrender, and the placing of the flag of one country over another is a token of victory for the former. The dipping of a flag is a mark of respect. See FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES; FLAGS, CONFF.DERATE; FLAGS OF FOREIGN NATIONS; SIGNAL SERVICE.
Bland, Banners; their History and Construction) (1892) ; Cum berland, F. B., (History of the Union Jack' (1900) ; Dorling, Medals, Ribbons, Badges and Flags' (1916) ; Gordon, W. (Flags of the World, Past and Present' (1916); Hulme, E., (Flags of the World' (1897) ; Mac George, A., 'Flags: Some Account of their History and Uses.'