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October 15, 1961 - Beachcombing Long Island for Rocks and Minerals_sue Rock hunting on the South Fork Sunday Review Sketch by Dennis Puleston of Brookhaven Focus on Nature As you know, in the past we have tried to bring you a variety d the facets of na- ture. So today Gideon Stivers of Riverhead, well known to most of you, brings us a fas- cinating story concerning the rocks and minerals along our shores. — P.S. Beachcombing Long Island for Rocks and Mineral$ By GIDEON STIVERS Let's start a Rock and Mineral Collection! . "Fine ", you say, "but I cannot make long prcrpecting trips up to New England, or out West ". Believe . it or not, you do not have to leave Long Island. Our Island is composed mostly of the drift and debris left by the ac- tion of glaciers. These 'ice sheets scooped up rocks and minerals as they went along, and eventu- ally deposited them right here in our own back yard. Ali of the material found in New England can be picked up around our hills and valleys, and along our beaches. Along the North, or "Sound Sbore' all the way out to Orient Point, it Is a collector's paradise. The beaches of Pecoine Bay will yield count- less specimens on both North and South shores. On the ocean side, or South Shore, the Montauk area from Ditch Plains east is without peer. Throughout the billy central por- tion of the island, gravel banks on the side of the road will pro- duce their share of collectors' items. Amateur mineralogists who like camping out will enjoy the facili- ties of Wildwood State Park at Wading River, Hither Hills State Park out towards Montauk, or Napeague Camp, on Napeague Bay. All have campsites for tenters or travel trailers. East of Montauk Village, at Ditch Plains there is a very large camping area and trailer park known as "Ditch Plains Ocean- side Park ". All accept tourist campers by the day or week, and the privately owned establish- ments will make arrangements for the whole season. Rates are reasonable and range from a dollar or dollar and a quarter a night to two or three' dollars a night per site, depend- ing on the site selected and the facilities that are available. The Rocks and Minerals which may be found are limited only to the time one may care to devote to the hobby. The usual granite, marble and gneiss boulders are strewn about in great profusion. Sandstone, by Paul Stoutenburgh Hematite, Feldspar and Basalt can easily be picked, up 'most anywhere. Quartz and quartsites are pre- sent at all locations, and the ser- ious collector may find such un- usual items as Graphic Granite and Horn Opal. Garnets, tho seldom found in "Gem" quality, are here by the millions. Once in a whole a very lucky hobbyist might find that prize of the quartz family, the Amethyst. A few have been pick- ed up along the Sound beaches as water worn pebbles. Not uncommon, is a clear, yellowish stone known as Scapo- lite. This stone 'is a member of the feldspar family, and depend- ing upon the crystalline structure, may aometi -nes be cut into gems known as Moonstones, Sunstones and Cat's Eyes. One of the first steps in be- coming a "Rock Hound" should be the purchase of a book on the subject. Highly recommended, is the least expensive, and in the opinion of the writer, one of the best. It is entitled "Rocks and '.Minerals ", written by Zim and Shafer, and published by Simon and Schuster as one of the "Golden Nature Guides ". In the paper cover edition, it may be purchased at your local book store or news stand for one dollar. No small part of the fun in collecting rocks and minerals will be found in exhibiting them, to friends and fellow collectors. Do not mount the first specimen you find. Wait until you have several, then pick the best for your-exhi- bit. Try to get the specimens in each row approximately the same size and shape. Many collectors mount their specimens temporar- ily on another plain piece of card- board until they are sure of their identification, then put them on the specimen card. This avoids ripping them off and spoiling your printed card, if you have wrongly 'identified them. On the North Shore of Long Island, along the Sound beaches, the rockhound will find a happy hunting ground. Reeves Beach, north of Riverhead, is an unusu- ally productive spot. 'Gem quartz, agate and banded rhyolite are quite common in grades varying from specimen to good "Cutting" gem quality. not be overlooked. The writer only a couple of weeks ago picked up come fairly nice agate speci- mens on the beach just below the light house, along with some half -inch garnets showing the full dodecahedron crystaline struc- ture. Any of the beaches and gully cuts all the way out to and including Orient Point will be productive. On the South Fork, Napeague to Montauk Point, along the Gar - diners Bay side the beaches yield up countless specimens, and on the Ocean side, from Ditch Plains to the point, one may spend days of rewarding exploration. Just west of Montauk village, on the Fort Pond Bay side, there is an old sea plane hanger and ramp. Just east of here, the beach is rich in garnets, black tourmaline, and agate. Cars may be parked at the top of the ramp, and the collecting area is practically at ones feet. Good gem quality brown jasper is often found in this locality in pieces ranging from pebbles to chunks weighing many pounds. It'looks like a smooth piece of hematite, but when scratched on a quartz boulder, it leaves a white mark, instead of the red streak made by hematite. There !, also a brown rhyolite, which might be confused with jasper, but rhyolite being a felsite, is softer than the quartz and will be scratched by the quartz and quartzites. Many pebbles and boulders will show shiny dark green hornblende crystals mixed in with other minerals. Biotite mica streakrs may be distinguished from small black tourmaline crystals by scraping with the point of a pocket knife. The mica will come away in tiny flake's, but the steel blade will not even scratch the tourmaline. All in all, "Rock hounding" is truly a family hobby in which all members of the home may parti- cipate, from the "Pebble poun- cers" through the teen age col- lectors on up to and including the adults,. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Dennis Puleston reports at Brookhaven: Cape May Warblers — October 2 - 9 several. Yellow - bellied Sapsuckers - Sep- tember 27 - October 9 about 6. Gray- cheeked Thrush - October 3 - 5. Olive- backed Thrush October 5 - 9. Indigo Bunting — October 8. An Shinnecock flats: Royal Terns — October 7 - 3. At Quogue Beach: Western I{ingb'ird = October 7. PS reports: Rusty Blackbird — Cutchogue — October 8. Please send Field Observations and Comments to Paul Stouten- burgh, Box 105, Cutchogue.