Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 23. (Budapest 1926)
Ognev, S. I.: A systematic review of the mammals of Russia
Vulpes vulpes subsp. Diagnosis. — General tint is of a bright reddish-yellowish colouring. Along the middle of the back a slight diffuse design of more intensive red-brownish hair, embracing crosswise also the region of the shoulders. Colour of inferior part is inconstant: frequently the colouring of the neck, breast and anterior part of belly is whitish; sometimes of a blackish grey. Black design on the extremities is but slightly developed; the front-parts of the paws are of a bright black; remaining parts of extremities (their middle and upper regions) are of a reddish-brown hue. Back parts of ears are of a bright black. Dark, blackish stripes on the sides of the muzzle (from eye to nose) are usually not developed. In these regions of the head a horse-brownish colouring of the fur may be observed. Well prominent black stripes are to be noted only in cases of strongly expressed types of dark-bellied foxes. Summer fur is usually more redcoloured, much shorter and coarser than the winter one. The white-bellied foxes prevail; strongly defined dark-bellied ones are comparatively rareSkull is rather large. General length of skull of çfçf 146—158 (M. 151-4), of 99 134-9—151-1 (M. 143-2); condylo-basal length of çfçf 140-5—150-5 (M. 145-1); 99 132—144-1 (M. 138-2); zygomatic breadth of çfçf 73-2-87 (M. 79'88), of 99 72*9—795 (M. 75"9); utmust breadth of skull of çfçf 46-9—51-8 (M. 48*7), of 99 45'6—50'2 (M. 47'6); length of brain-case* of çfçf 60-7—65-3 (M. 63-08), of 99 57-9—65 (M. 61-05); length of facial part** of çfçf 62 2—709 (M. 65-53); of 99 57'7— 65 (M. 62-05); height of skull of çfçf 50-55'9 (M. 52-04), of 99 48-2—53-2 (M. 50-6); length of upper tooth-row of çfçf 62-3—69-9 (M. 66-1), of 99 60-1—69 (M. 64-05). Systematic remarks. — In my work „The fauna of the terrestrial Vertebrates of the gvt. of Voronésh" (1924, p. 102 etc.), I provisionally classed the fox of central Russia as belonging to the sub-species V. v. crucigera BECHST. Until an immediate comparison of good series of German foxes with those of Russia this question will remain a problem. It is very probable, that such an immediate comparison will make it possible to establish the stable distinctions between these two sub-species. So, in the well known work of EMIL BBASS „AUS dem Reiche der Pelze", 1911, s. 456, we find an indication, that the foxes of the northern parts of European Russia have a more silky, downy and longer fur and a brighter colouring than those of Germany. * From the point of the utmost interorbital constriction to the inion ** From the inner-anterior border of the orbita to the alveolar point.
