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Over the years Virginia has passed legislation to select a state emblems and symbols. Do you know what the emblems are? Can you describe one of our state's symbols? To learn more, select from the following:

Virginia Emblems
	State Bird Virginia's state bird is the northern cardinal. The cardinal is a member of the finch family.
	State Flower and Tree The state flower and tree is the American dogwood. The dogwood blooms in early spring.
	State Dog The state dog is the American fox hound. The American fox hound is a medium-sized dog trained to hunt foxes.
	State Boat The Chesapeake Bay deadrise is the official boat of Virginia.
	State Dance The official folk dance of Virginia is the square dance.
	State Insect Virginia's state insect is the tiger swallowtail butterfly. It has yellow and black tiger-striped wings and a dark tail.
	State Fish The state fish is the brook trout. The brook trout is a member of the salmon family.
	State Shell The oyster is Virginia's official state shell.
	State Fossil Virginia's state fossil is the Chesapecten jeffersonius. It is named after Thomas Jefferson because of his interest in natural history. The name also celebrates the Chesapeake Bay.
	State Beverage Virginia's state beverage is milk. Milk is used to make things such as butter, ice cream, and yogurt
	State Bat: The Virginia Big Eared Bat is an endangered species and is the official State Bat.

State Flag The flag of the Commonwealth has a deep blue field with a circular white center. Within the circle is the coat of arms of the Commonwealth. In 1954, the General Assembly adopted an official salute to the flag of Virginia which states:

"I salute the flag of Virginia, with reverence and patriotic devotion to the ‘Mother of States and Statesmen,’ which it represents—the ‘Old Dominion,’ where liberty and independence were born."

House of Delegates Mace The Mace is a ceremonial staff presented to the House of Delegates in 1700 by the Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia. Displayed in the old House chamber is an Edwardian style mace made of silver with a 24-karat gold wash. The importance of the mace lies in its symbolism, which derives from English tradition.
	Senate of Virginia Seal The Senate of Virginia adopted its Seal in 1981. The Seal of the Senate has a shield of armor in the center which is divided into four sections, representing the arms of four countries (England, France, Scotland, and Ireland) that contributed to Virginia's early history. The coats of arms, Queen Elizabeth, and the dragon (part of royal seal of England) represent Virginia's heritage. The ivory gavel represents the Senate as a law making body. The cardinal and dogwood depict are two of our state emblems. The ribbon contains the Latin motto of the Senate, which means "May the Senate of Virginia flourish."