GLOSSARY

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MARKINGS
Spots, blotches, speckles, scrawls, or lines of colour applied to the eggshell while in the oviduct.
MIMICRY
Imitation of the size, shape or markings of eggs of another species. Mimicry occurs among some brood parasites, such as cuckoos.
NEST
Not a bird house, but a receptacle for eggs laid by birds.
OOLOGY
The study of eggs.
OVIDUCT
A portion of the female bird's reproductive tract. The oviduct is a tube. The egg is fertilized in the upper part of the oviduct before albumen, membranes, shell and cuticle are added as the egg descends the tube.
OVUM
The egg released by the ovary.