Circle of stars all EU leaders as the official emblem of the European Communities, and in 1993 inherited by the successor organisation, the European Union. All European institutions now use an emblem of their own. The Zodiac is an ancient "circle of stars" where some stars are symbolically combined into 12 Star signs also known as constellations. The etymology of the term Zodiac comes from the Latin zōdiacus, from the Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος], meaning "[circle] of animals", derived from ζῴδιον, the diminutive of ζῷον "animal". The Crown of Immortality is a separate and earlier motif (and metaphor) which also uses a circle of
Common wood pigeon Common wood pigeon The common wood pigeon ("Columba palumbus") is a large species in the dove and pigeon family. It belongs to the genus "Columba" and, like all pigeons and doves, belongs to the family Columbidae. It is locally known in southeast England as the "culver"; This name has given rise to several areas known for keeping pigeons to be named after it, such as Culver Down. The genus name "Columba" is the Latin word meaning "pigeon, dove", whose older etymology comes from the Ancient Greek κόλυμβος ("kolumbos"), "a diver", from "κολυμβάω" (kolumbao), "dive, plunge headlong, swim". Aristophanes (Birds, 304)