Rock Vole 
of the elements, their only protection being that furnished by fragments 
of driftwood and wreckage. Where the mice are abundant a labyrinth 
of well-beaten paths crosses the sand in every direction along which 
the mice run when pursued. The only burrows are short ones 
evidently intended to reach the soft parts of the beach grass which 
forms their food. They construct nests or forms, open at the top and 
large enough to hold one animal, which are scattered about 
everywhere. In autumn they lay up stores of the soft stems of the 
beach grass (Ammophila) for winter use. These are buried in the 
sand, as much as a peck being concealed in one place. (See Miller— 
‘‘The Beach Mouse of Muskeget Island.’’) 
Rock Vole 
Microtus chrotorrhinus Miller 
Also called Yellow-cheeked Meadow Mouse 
Length. 6.60 inches. 
Description. Similar to the meadow mouse but with a yellowish or 
fulvous patch on each side of the face at the base of the whiskers. 
Range. New Brunswick and Quebec and southward to the White 
Mountains, Adirondacks and Catskills. Allied varieties occur in 
Labrador and Newfoundland. 
Of the habits of the rock voles but little is known. Mr. Miller 
found them in the White Mountains living in the crevices of rock 
mounds overgrown with sedges and bushes, and they seemed to 
have no regular runways. In New Brunswick Mr. Bangs states 
that they live in the deep spruce forests and appear to be diurnal 
in habits. 
Varieties of the Rock Vole 
1. Roch Vole. Microtus chrotorrhinus Miller. Description and 
range as above. 
2. Labrador Rock Vole. M. chrotorrhinus ravus Bangs. Similar, 
but light patches larger covering nearly the whole face. 
Range. Labrador. 
3. Newfoundland Rock Vole. M. terre nove Bangs. Similar but 
larger with duller cheek patches. 
Range. Newfoundland. 
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