ian ▁Be arded ▁d ' U cc le ▁B ant ams , ▁frequently ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" M ille ▁Fle ur " ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁lav ender ▁causes ▁the ▁pattern ▁known ▁as ▁" por cel ain ". ▁The ▁resulting ▁" por cel ain " ▁pattern ▁is ▁be ige ▁with ▁each ▁fe ather ▁t ipped ▁with ▁a ▁V - sh aped ▁of ▁sl aty ▁blue ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁fe ather ▁and ▁the ▁fe ather ▁t ipped ▁with ▁a ▁V - sh aped ▁white ▁sp angle . ▁ ▁Light ▁and ▁electron ▁mic ros cope ▁studies ▁have ▁revealed ▁that , ▁although ▁lav ender ▁mel an ocy tes ▁possess ▁relatively ▁normal ▁d end rite ▁morph ology , ▁there ▁is ▁defect ive ▁peri pher al ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁mel anos om es ▁to ▁the ▁d end rit es . ▁This ▁results ▁in ▁the ▁patch y ▁transfer ▁of ▁mel anos om es ▁into ▁the ▁ker atin ocy tes ▁of ▁the ▁growing ▁fe ather . ▁The ▁dil ution ▁effect ▁is ▁essentially ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁p ig ment ed ▁and ▁un p ig ment ed ▁regions ▁within ▁the ▁fe ather ▁bar bs . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁lav ender ▁gene ▁was ▁first ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁Por cel ain ▁variety ▁of ▁Belg ian ▁Be arded ▁d ' U cc le ▁b ant ams ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁and ▁verified ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Por cel ain ▁colored ▁d ' U cc le ▁b ant ams ▁were ▁around ▁as