Foxes were vaccinated orally (by bait), gastrically (by stomach tube) and by scarification with a vaccinia recombinant virus expressing the rabies glycoprotein. Neutralizing antibodies against rabies virus were detected at two weeks postvaccination in 8/8 foxes in the bait-fed group, in 3/6 foxes inoculated by stomach tube and in 2/2 of the scarified foxes. After challenge at three months postvaccination with street rabies virus, all foxes that had developed antibodies were protected. The high rate of seroconversion, high levels of antibodies, and resistance to challenge suggest that this recombinant virus might be a suitable vaccine for oral immunization of foxes against rabies.

Research into the oligosaccharide content of glycoproteins in saliva indicates that serous saliva primarily contains N‐glycosidically linked carbohydrate chains with high concentrations of mannose. Where as mucous saliva contains a predominance of O‐glycosidically linked carbohydrate chains with high concentrations of terminal fucose and N‐acetylneuraminic acid molecules. These differences between serous and mucous saliva can be visualized morphologically in salivary gland tissues by differential lectin binding in acinar cells and duct contents. This study utilises a fluorescein‐labelled lectin‐binding method to demonstrate these differences and to study the characteristics of ductal and myoepithelial cells in salivary gland tissues. The results generally confirm the predictable differential binding.

Lectins are proteins or glycoproteins which exhibit a high affinity for specific sugar molecules. Terminal sugars on cell surface or cytoplasmic oligosaccharides hound to proteins and lipids can he probed with lectins. This study records the lectin‐binding characteristics of 20 salivary gland neoplasms and compares them with observations in normal human serous and mucous salivary glands. The results of this study support the current histogenetic concepts for the development of some of the salivary gland neoplasms.