The Roman goddess, Virtus, stands triumphantly over her tyrannical foe. She represents the virtues of heroism, righteousness, freedom, and valor. The state's motto "Sic Semper Tyrannis" ("Thus Always to Tyrants") appears at the lower edge.

On the back are three figures, eternity, liberty, and agriculture. The Latin means "By persevering."

The seal was adopted at Virginia's 1776 Constitutional Convention. A committee composed of George Wythe, George Mason, Robert Carter Nicholas, and Richard Henry Lee collaborated on the design, but it is beleived that George Wythe was the major contributor to the design.

In 1949 Virginia's Art Commission defined the official color scheme for the seal.

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State Bird

In 1950, the General Assembly chose the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) as the state bird because of its bright plumage and cheerful song. It is part of the finch family.

It is named after the red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals. They are 8-9 inches in size. The male boasts a bright red crown and body with the female being more brown in color.

Cardinals can be found in most of America. They are an aggressive bird which occupy their territory year-round. They live on seeds and insects and are a welcome touch of color at winter feeders.

The Cardinal's nests are bowl-like and made of grass and twigs. They prefer to nest in bushes to lay tgeur whitish eggs with brown and gray markings. The female may lay 2-5 eggs at each nesting.

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