318 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
the upper austral zone, but such places may prove to be transition 
» islands”, 
- Habitat, Caves, overhanging cliffs and rocky mountain sides. 
Distribution in New York. ‘The cave rat is not at present known to 
occur in New York outside of the lower Hudson valley, though there is 
reason to believe that it will be found at other localities along the 
southern border of the state. 
Principal records. Baird: “A few specimens of unusually large size 
were captured some years ago by Mr J. G. Bell near Pierpont on the 
Hudson river” (’58, p. 489). Allen: ‘I have now to record the capture 
of a specimen on Storm King mountain, Cornwall, Orange co. N. Y. 
about 50 miles north of New York city and 40 miles north of Piermont. 
The place of capture was at the base of a cliff 30 or 4o feet 
in height at an elevation of about 1000 feet. The ciiff is full of deep 
crevices and has a talus of loose stones at its base” (’94 b, p. 362). 
Remarks. With regard to the relationship of this animal with the 
fossil species found in the cave deposits of Pennsylvania Dr Mearns 
writes: ‘‘Mr Samuel N. Rhoads in a paper entitled ‘A contribution 
to the life history of the Alleghany cave rat, Veotoma magister 
Baird’ [’94], claims that the recent species described by Mr Witmer 
Stone [’93 b] under the name JVeofoma fpennsylvanica is specifically 
identical with the subfossil cave species named JVeotoma magister 
by Baird [’57, p. 486]. I am unable to concur in this opinion, for the - 
reason that a comparison of eight jaws— one upper and seven lower— 
belonging to Baird’s type series of his (Veotoma magister differ in 
important respects from a series of recent skulls . . . of WVeotoma 
pennsylvanica Stone. . . In this comparison /Veotoma magister proves 
to have been a considerably larger and stouter animal than JV. fenn- 
sylvanica, the skull is relatively shorter . . . the mandibles are 
deeper a the tooth tows broadenandiongeni.u mn lena aoa 
P- 334-35). I have examined the specimens referred to by Dr Mearns and 
see no reason to question his conclusion. Remains of LVeofoma magister 
are to be looked for in caves and rock fissures in southern New York. 
Evotomys gapperi gapperi (Vigors) Common red-backed mouse 
1830 Arvicola gapperi Vigors, Zool. journ., 5 : 204. 
1841 Arvicola fulvus Audubon & Bachman, Acad. nat. sci. Philadel- 
phias) Wioum i wOCrRo7mc wives pier gine 
1842 Arvicola rufescens De Kay, Zoology of New York, Mammalia. 
De Oly. 
