FEATURE
sex-linked recessive, although I believe that it is regarded today as being autosomal recessive (i.e. not sex-linked). The form is vary variable, from being as a normal Fawn & White, with markings well- defined but with a colour of dilute fawn or cream; or with no distinct demarcation between the dilute fawn and white areas, the colour appearing to merge with the white to give a shaded effect. The most attractive examples often display a necklace pattern of mixed dilute fawn and white feathers. It is has been suggested that the Dilute Fawn & Whites are not a separate mutation but a colour that has been produced by selective pairing of lighter birds. While I accepted that it is possible to produce very light fawns in this manner, this does not account for the necklace pattern. The show standard covers all
variegated dilutes and states that they should be a dilution of the main colours; chocolate, fawn or chestnut. Chestnut & Whites The first reference I have found for
Chestnut & White Bengalese was in 1976 when James Buchan referred to them as Dilute Chocolates in his book ‘The Bengalese Finch’. They must have been around for quite a number of years before then. The chestnut should be a rich colour of a horse chestnut, neither too dark nor too light. Genetically the chestnut colour in Bengalese is dominant to fawn but recessive to chocolate.
Silver & Whites Silver & White Bengalese are reported to have first appeared in the 1970s from Chestnut & Whites. They are often described as being dilute chestnut or dilute chocolates. Their actual genetic make-up is not clear, but from experience I find that from a pair consisting of a Silver & White and Dilute Fawn & White, chicks of both colours are usually produced.
SELF-COLOURED BENGALESE Although they are regarded as self birds, the all white mutations are usually bred in conjunction with the pied varieties. Occasionally coloured selfs will produce chicks with white feathers; they usually appear above or below the beak, between the legs, in wings or in the tail. White feathers can also be caused by a localised effect, which is not inheritable. The show standard states that no white feathers are permissible for coloured self classes.
Dark-Eyed Whites As mentioned earlier White Bengalese were the first colour to be imported into Europe from Japan. It was popular but was regarded as being more delicate than the other varieties. I believe that they disappeared from the UK until examples were imported circa 2000 from Holland. It is believed that the combination of dominant and recessive
BIRD SCENE 33
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