﻿618 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION 
  

  

  The 
  term 
  Pleistocene 
  is 
  used 
  liere 
  as 
  the 
  equivalent 
  of 
  Quater- 
  

   nary, 
  a 
  term 
  which 
  has 
  heretofore 
  been 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  museum 
  

   reports 
  for 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  great 
  ice 
  sheets. 
  

  

  The 
  Oyster 
  Bay 
  and 
  Hempstead 
  quadrangles 
  together 
  include 
  a 
  

   belt 
  about 
  13 
  miles 
  wide 
  extending 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  across 
  Long 
  

   Island. 
  The 
  area 
  thus 
  mapped 
  comprises, 
  aside 
  from 
  a 
  triangular 
  

   area 
  on 
  the 
  mainland 
  about 
  Mamaroneck 
  not 
  dealt 
  with 
  in 
  this 
  

   report, 
  the 
  major 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  towns 
  of 
  Oyster 
  Bay, 
  North 
  Hemp- 
  

   stead, 
  and 
  Hempstead, 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  sound 
  from 
  Man- 
  

   hasset 
  bay 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  to 
  Oyster 
  Bay 
  harbor 
  on 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  

   the 
  Atlantic 
  shore 
  from 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  Far 
  Rockaway 
  beach, 
  

   eastward 
  to 
  Short 
  beach. 
  

  

  The 
  matters 
  considered 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  are 
  1) 
  the 
  topography, 
  2) 
  

   glacial 
  deposits, 
  3) 
  Pleistocene 
  history, 
  including 
  data 
  gathered 
  from 
  

   the 
  area 
  on 
  the 
  west, 
  4) 
  the 
  post-glacial 
  changes 
  and 
  processes 
  now 
  

   in 
  action. 
  

  

  TOPOGRAPHY 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  traveler 
  from 
  Green 
  port 
  or 
  Sag 
  Harbor 
  approaches 
  the 
  

   western 
  end 
  of 
  Long 
  Island, 
  there 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  continuously 
  

   before 
  him 
  two 
  low 
  ridges, 
  one 
  skirting 
  the 
  north 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  

   island, 
  the 
  other 
  less 
  elevated 
  and 
  continuous 
  and 
  at 
  a 
  variable 
  dis- 
  

   tance 
  inland 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  shore, 
  the 
  two 
  being 
  separated 
  first 
  by 
  

   the 
  deep 
  embay 
  ments 
  of 
  the 
  pronglike 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  

   and 
  then 
  by 
  a 
  broad, 
  sandy 
  plain, 
  narrowing 
  westward 
  to 
  the 
  

   eastern 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  with 
  which 
  this 
  report 
  is 
  concerned. 
  At 
  

   this 
  point, 
  near 
  Syosset, 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  ridges 
  rudely 
  coalesce. 
  

   The 
  northern 
  ridge 
  takes 
  a 
  south 
  southwesterly 
  course, 
  lies 
  more 
  

   remote 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  sound, 
  and 
  traverses 
  the 
  area 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   inclose 
  the 
  southern 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  Y-shaped 
  harbors 
  of 
  Manhasset 
  and 
  

   Great 
  Neck 
  bays. 
  

  

  What 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  ridge 
  is 
  trace- 
  

   able 
  as 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  low 
  mounds 
  at 
  Locust 
  Grove, 
  Jericho, 
  thence 
  south 
  

   of 
  Old 
  Westbury, 
  at 
  Albertson 
  station, 
  Searington, 
  and 
  so 
  westward 
  

   to 
  an 
  abrupt 
  termination 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  higher, 
  more 
  massive 
  

   northern 
  ridge 
  just 
  east 
  of 
  Lake 
  Surprise. 
  Between 
  these 
  mounds 
  

  

  