Heraldic Description Ladd Coat-of-Arms: "Or, a fesse wavy between three escallops, sable" Translated as: "On a gold background a wide wavy black line divides three scallop shells." The motto is: “Constant Et Ferme” (Always Ready)

WAVY, UNDY, or ONDY: (old fr. undé and oundé, mod. fr. ondé) One of the lines of division (as its name implies) Drawn like the waves of the sea. It is found in the earliest rolls of arms, being more frequently applied to the fesse or bar.

SABLE: Black, the term being probably derived from certain animals with black feet called Sabellinoe (mustela zibellina of Linnaeus). It is called Saturn by those who fancifully blazon by the planets, and diamond by those who use the names of jewels. Engravers represent it by numerous perpendicular and horizontal lines crossing each other.

From: "A GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN HERALDRY" by JAMES PARKER, FIRST PUBLISHED in 1894