The Manual of Heraldry

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THE SALTIER.

The saltier was formed by making two pieces of riband cross diagonally, having the appearance of the letter X, or, speaking heraldically, the bend and bend sinister crossing each other in the center of the shield. The saltier, if uncharged, occupies one-fifth of the field; if charged, one-third.

Ex. Gules, a saltier, argent.

Like the cross, the saltier may be borne engrailed, wavy, and the termination of the arms of the saltier varied; but there are not so many examples of the variation of the form in the saltier as in the cross.