Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 23. (Budapest 1926)

Ognev, S. I.: A systematic review of the mammals of Russia

I have happened to hear the same statements from hunters, who have shot both German and our central and north Russian foxes. In consequence of the cited data, I find-it most rational to withhold from a definition of sub-species of the Northern and central Russian fox, so as not to grope about in the region of conjecture, nor bring confusion into the systématisation, in giving to that fox, without sufficient reason, this or that sub-special name. It is to be noted, that in definite localities one or another type od coloured foxes prevails. So, in the central Russian governments, for instance in the gvt. of Moscow and the adjacent ones the white-bellied foxes and the comparatively feebly expressed dark-bellied ones prevail; the coloured forms of this last type and those with a crosswise pattern on the back are rarely to be met with. The further North, the better the quality of the fur ; a predomination of other coloured types is to be observed. So, the academician MIDDENDORF in his „Übersicht der Natur Nord- und Ost-Sibiriens, IV," (1875, p. 991) remarks, that in the gvt. of St. Petersburg the dark-bellied foxes prevail. Evidently, this is the general rule for foxes of the northern type of European Russia and West Siberia. It is possible, that our foxes of Arkhangelsk are indistinguishable as to their outward peculiarities from the Swedish ones, that is, they belong to the typical form. I have to observe, that the skulls of the foxes of Arkhangelsk are larger than those of our central Russian ones and that the structure of the teeth is nearer to the type of the real V. v. crucigera. The relation of this fox of Arkhangelsk to the central Russian one is not clear, inasmuch as the question, of the systematical relationship of the typical V. vulpes L. to the V. v. crucigera BECHST. remains open. When working on his well known Catalogue of Mammals of Western Europe, G. S. MILLER had absolutely no skins of the typical V. vulpes. The whole of the diagnosis of this author is based on the distinctions in the structure of the teeth. According to G. S. MILLER, the teeth of the northern race are larger and the premolar teeth are set more closely, than in the German form ; moreover, the skull of V. vulpes L. reaches the maximum sizes for European forms. Concerning the cited peculiarities I shall observe first of all, that the size of the teeth of foxes is subjected to considerable individual variations and being a systematical peculiarity, it must be handled carefully; the character of the development of intervals between the premolar teeth is a very variable peculiarity and therefore — not a sure one ; lastly, the statement of G. S. MILLER, concerning the large size of the skull of V. vulpes L. typ. is not confirmed by the table of measurements, cited by him.