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I believe the heraldic term for the bird feeding her chicks by piercing herself is "a pelican in her piety". So I agree with the previous post of the bird on the crest is a pelican. However there is artistic license in lengthening the neck to make the bend, making it look more like a cormorant

That's why the NorCal region of PAC calls their newsletter The Pious Pelican. I was it's editor for, I believe, about seven years but many years ago.

Am I the only person who sees the subtle humor in some of these hood ornaments?

For example the Rolls-Royce hood ornament is a high priced prostitute pulling up her bloomers, and the Packard hood ornament a bird throwing up.

Yes, there is a bit of subtle humor in a good many hood ornaments in that era.

Mention of a pelican always brings this verse to mind:

A Wonderful Bird is The Pelican
By
Dixon Lanier Merritt

A Wonderful Bird is The Pelican
His bill can hold more than his belican
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week
But I'm damned if I can see how the helican.

Hehehehe....

Steve

Even in 1952 the question seemed unresolved.





8x10 black and white Packard Co. file photograph of a 1952 Packard Pelican, hood ornament, right side view. Inscribed on photo back; accessories, hood ornaments, cormorant, restyled pelican emblem, standard hood ornament on 1952 Packard 250, 300, 400, twenty-fifth series models.

Item # EB01e895

Photo courtesy of the Detroit Public Library, National Automotive History Collection and used with permission.

Reproduction Permission Form and Price List

@Guscha
You never cease to amaze me by dusting off an old topic (where I can hardly find a topic we did last week). Fun to read some comments of back then, especially from forum participants we hardly hear from anymore.

Where's O_D or Tim Cole?

Still here.

Good to hear O_D

Leyton Chan pointed out this 1931 General Letter G-347 that references to the Pelican/Commorant accessory.