Foraminifera and. Origin 

of the Gardiners Clay 

(Pleistocene), Eastern 

Long Island, New York 

By LAWRENCE WEISS 

A SHORTER CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 254-G 

This report concerns work done on behalf of the 

U.S. AtomicEnergy (]ommission and is published 

with the permission of the Commission 

, 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1954 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Douglas McKay, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office 

~ashington 25, D. C.- Price 50 cents (paper cover) 

I 

I I 
CONTENTS 

Abstract __________________________________________ _ 

Introduction ______________________________________ _ 

Acknowledgments ______________________________ _ 

Methods and techniques ________________________ _ Stratigraphy ______________________________________ _ 

General stratigraphy of Long Island ______________ _ 

Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Brookhaven National 

Laboratoryarea----------------------------~- VVelldata _________________________________________ _ 

Rotary -drill test wells __________________________ _ 

Page 

143 

143 

145 

145 

145 

145 

146 

148 

148 

Well data-Continued 

Cable-tool test wells ________________________ _: ___ _ 

Privately drilled wells ________________ .:. _________ _ 

Conditions of deposition ____________________________ _ 

Evidence from well samples _____________________ _ 

Evidence from dredged samples __________________ _ Conclusions _______________________________________ _ 

Systematic descriptions _____________________________ _ 

Literature cited ____________________________________ _ Index ____________________________________________ _ 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

148 

149 

154 

154 

156 

157 

157 

162 

163 

Page 

PLATE 32. N onionidae_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Following index 

33. Rotaliidae, Globigerinidae, Buliminidae, Miliolidae, and Polymorphinidae_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Following index 

FIGURE 14. Map of eastern Long Island showing location of wells iri Brookhaven area__________________________________ 144 

15. Generalized columnar section in Brookhaven area _____________________________ ·__________________________ 146 

16. Cross sections, A-A' and B-B' ____________________________________________ ------- __ _____ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ __ 147 

17. Relative abundance of microfossils in well S6409------------------------------------------------------~ 155 

m 

A SHORTER CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF THE GARDINERS CLAY (PLEISTOCENE) 

EASTERN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK 

By LAWRENCE WEISS 

ABSTRACT 

The Gardiners clay, an interglacial marine Pleistocene dE;lposit, 

was examined for microfossils in connection with a ground-water 

investigation at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Suffolk 

County, Long Island, N. Y. Twenty species of Foraminifera 

were identified, including one new species of the genus Elphidium 

and one new subspecies of the genus Nonion. The environmental conditions during deposition, as determined from a study 

of the microfauna, suggest that the Gardiners clay probably 

does not provide a tight hydraulic seal between the shallow 

water-table beds and the underlying Cretaceous aquifers. 

INTRODUCTION 

The United States Geological Survey has been making detailed ground-water studies for the Atomic Energy 

Commission at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, 

Long Island, N. Y., since 1948. During these investigations a number of test wells were drilled in the 

Brookhaven area (fig. 14) under the immediate supervision of the Geological Survey. Only 7 of these wells 

passed through the unfossiliferous glaciofluvial sand and 

gravel, 150 to 200 feet thick, and penetrated the underlying material. In 5 of the deeper wells a greenish-gray 

fossiliferous clay bed, 10 to 20 feet thick, was found 

beneath the glacial outwash and immediately above the 

gray clayey sands of the Magothy(?) formation of Late 

Cretaceous age. The fossil content and stratigraphic 

position of this clay indicate that it is the Gardiners 

clay, a Pleistoeene interglacial deposit. (For a description of the geology of Long Island, see Fuller, 1914, 

and deLaguna and Perlmutter, 1949.) 

In 1nost of the test wells, the samples for microfossil 

study were taken from cores, and in these wells the 

limits of the fossiliferous clay zone could be determined 

within a few feet. . In addition some samples of cuttings 

from privately drilled wells in the vicinity of Brookhaven were examined, and the results are included in 

the report. Because samples from the unconsolidated 

well cuttings may contain mixtures of materials from 

various depths, the boundaries of the zone cannot be 

established as accurately as with cores. 

There were two reasons for studying the microfauna 

of this clay stratum. First, the clay bed is believed 

to form a seal between the water-table aquifer in the 

glacial sand and gravel above it and the Cretaceous 

artesian aquifers below it. Thus the thickness and 

continuity of the clay bed are of 1nuch importance. To 

determine whether the clay was deposited in fairly deep 

water and therefore presumably is extensive and uniform, or whether it was deposited in shallow water as 

discontinuous lenses, required an interpretation of the 

conditions of environment during deposition. The 

second purpose of this paper is to describe the microfauna in the clay. 

Virtually all the knowledge of the subsurface geology 

of Long Island is based on information obtained from 

wells. Except along the north shore, outcrops of preWisconsin material are extremely rare on Long Island, 

and the microfossils in the Pleistocene Gardiners clay, 

which include foraminifers, diatoms, small forms of 

mollusks, some ostracodes, and a few plant remains, are 

valuable in well-sample correlations. With the help 

of these microfossils it is hoped that the Gardiners 

clay can be more clearly defined so that it may be 

differentiated from the clays in the upper part of the 

Magothy(?) formation with which it has often been 

confused. 

The Gardiners clay in eastern Long Island is variable 

in its thickness, lithology, and fossil content. The 

foraminiferal assemblage in· the clay is indicative of 

shallow-water, probably brackish-water, deposition 

and suggests a depositional environment similar to the 

bays that fringe the southern shore of Long Island 

today. The most abundant Foraminifera in the 

Gardiners clay-those which might possibly be used as 

guide fossils -are Elphidium clavatum and E. jlorentinae. These species are still living in shallow water 

off the coast of New England, in the numerous bays 

on Long Island, and in Long Island Sound. They are 

therefore not restricted to the Pleistocene, and their 

use as guide fossils might be questioned. However, 

143 
144 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

LONG ISLAND SOUND 

OCEAN 

50 MILES 

' 

Baiting 

Hollow 

FIGURE 14.-Map of eastern Long Island showing location of wells in Brookhaven area. 

5 MILES 

I 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y: 145 

there is no evidence of any other fossiliferous interglacial clay on Long Island; thus any fossiliferous 

material of Pleistocene age overlain by glacial deposits 

may be called Gardiners. 

Another factor that might prove useful in differentiating the Gardiners clay from more recent deposits 

is the complete absence of arenaceous Foraminifera in 

the Gardiners in this area. Arenaceous species are 

numerous in the present-day shallow w:aters of New 

England and Long Island. The significance of this 

fact has not yet been determined, but it is not peculiar 

to this region. Voorthuysen (1949, p. 64) found that 

arenaceous species of Foraminifera are absent from the 

marine Pleistocene of the Netherlands but occur 

there today. 

In many places the Gardiners clay of the Brookhaven 

National Laboratory area contains microfossils only, 

and it is suggested that future correlation work on the 

Gardiners clay be based on microscopic examination. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The author is indebted to Dr. Brooks F. Ellis and 

Nliss Angela R. Messina and staff of the Department 

of Micropaleo1;1tology, American Museum of Natural 

History, for invaluable criticisms and constructive 

suggestions. The type and figured specimens of the 

Foraminifera are deposited in the U. S. National 

Museum. 

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES 

Each core sample was prepared by scraping the 

outermost layer to remove possibly contaminated 

material, and a section 3 inches long and ~ inch in 

diameter was cut out for examination. This section 

was allowed to dry naturally or was heated to drive off 

moisture, and the sample was boiled in about 500 

milliliters of water that contained 3 or 4 pellets of 

sodium hydroxide to aid in breaking up the clay. Next 

the clay was washed through a 200-mesh United States 

standard sieve, and a n1oderate stream of water was 

used to agitate the clay; only that part of the sample 

which remained in the sieve was saved. The samples 

. bailed from cable-tool wells or washed from rotary-drill 

wells were treated in the same way. 

The washed and sieved sample was dried and placed 

in a large evaporating dish. When carbon tetrachloride 

was poured over the sample, most of the foraminifers, 

diatoms, and plant material floated to the top so that 

they could be quickly poured off and caught on filter 

paper. (Whatman no. 12 paper, 24 centimeters in 

diameter, proved very satisfactory.) The floated 

material was dried and placed on a search plate for 

examination. The carbon tetrachloride was recovered 

for re-use. This method did not float the small 

mollusks, but, where present, they were large enough to 

be seen easily in the residue. 

The flotation method of concentrating the microfossils proved very successful. It saved considerable 

time in examining core samples and was a necessity in 

working with other kinds of well samples. Bailer 

samples that were only washed and sieved seemed to be 

barren of microfossils, but samples concentrated with 

carbon tetrachloride yielded many specimens. 

STRATIGRAPHY 

GENERAL STRATIGRAPHY OF LONG ISLAND 

Because so few of the geologic formations on Long 

Island are fossiliferous their identification a:pd correlation are largely tentative. The Magothy(?) formation 

on Long Island, the oldest formation here considered, is 

known to be of Late Cretaceous age, although direct 

correlation with the type Magothy in New Jersey has 

not been made. . 

The Mannetto gravel, the oldest ·post-Cretaceous 

deposit on Long Island, is presumably Pleistocene 

glacial outwash, although some geologists have sug-. 

gested that it is of late Tertiary age. The Mannetto 

gravel seems to be restricted to the Mannetto and 

Wheatley Hills areas and has not been ooserved in the 

eastern part of the island. 

The J ameco gravel is considered to be younger than 

the Mannetto gravel on the basis of the degree of 

weathering. In western Long Island the Jameco gravel 

is about 100 feet thick and is easily recognized in well 

samples because of its characteristically high content 

of diabase fragments and its position beneath the 

Gardiners clay. Although some geologists have 

thought that they could recognize the Jameco gravel 

throughout the island on the basis of lithology and 

stratigraphic position, its presence in the eastern part 

is doubtful. The exposures of possible Jameco age are 

obscure and strongly folded and in general present 

insufficient evidence for correlation. Well records also 

fail to indicate the presence of the Jameco gravel in 

eastern Long Island. There is no mention of a darkcolored or diabase-rich gravel in any of the well logs of 

this area. Some well records, however, show a thin 

sand or gravel beneath the Gardiners clay, and this 

zone, on stratigraphic position alone, has been correlat.ed by some workers with the Jameco. The wells 

drilled in the Brookhaven area have shown that there 

are sand and gravel lenses in the Gardiners clay, and 

in many places gravel embedded in the clay itself. It 

is more reasonable to assume, therefore, that the thin 

sand or gravel bed beneath the Gardiners clay in some 

parts of. eastern Long Island belongs to the Gardiners 
146. SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

and that the Jameco gravel does not extend into this 

area. 

The Gardiners clay is an interglacial deposit that 

overlies the Jameco gravel in western Long Island. In 

the eastern part the Gardiners lies directly above the 

Upper Cretaceous deposits. The Gardiners has been 

described as a bluish clay in the central part of Long 

Island, and as red and green clay near the eastern end 

of the island. At the type locality on Gardiners 

Island, Fuller (1914, p. 100) reported a succession of 

black, green, and red clays, 28 feet thick in all, 

merging upward into the Jacob sand. Only the green 

clay, composing about 10 feet of this clay zone, was 

fossiliferous. 

The Jacob sand is supposedly the transitional zone 

between the interglacial Gardiners clay and the glacial 

Manhasset formation. The type locality for the Jacob 

sand is near Jacobs Hill on the north shore of Long 

Island, 8 miles northeast of Riverhead. There the 

Jacob is a buff fine-grained clayey sand, consisting 

chiefly of quartz grains, muscovite, and some dark 

minerals. 

The Jacob sand is overlain by the Manhasset formation, a series of beds of glacial sand and gravel, 150 

to 200 feet thick. The Manhasset contains a middle 

member of till, the Montauk, which is 40 to 60 feet 

thick in some areas. The lower unit of sand and 

gravel is known as the Herod gravel member of the 

Manhasset formation, and the upper unit as the 

Hempstead gravel member. 

The youngest Pleistocene deposit on Long Island, the 

Wisconsin, consists of the till and associated outwash 

of the Ronkonkoma and Harbor Hill moraines. Fuller 

(1914, p. 220-221) believed the Manhasset formation 

to be of Illinoian age and that an interglacial erosional 

interval, the Vineyard stage, intervened between the 

period of deposition of the Manhasset formation and 

that of the younger Wisconsin drift. A number of 

more recent workers, however, feel that the lack of 

any noticeable difference in weathering between the 

Manhasset forn1ation and the younger Wisconsin drift, 

and the absence of any generally recognized interglacial deposit, preclude the existence of an interglacial stage; thus they believe the Manhasset to be of 

Wisconsin age. 

PLEISTOCENE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE 

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY AREA 

The Pleistocene deposits in the Brookhaven region 

can be divided into three parts (fig. 15) with the 

Gardiners clay at the base, overlain by a greenish 

clayey sand, and an upper unit of glacial sand and 

gravel. The stratigraphic relationship of these zones 

is shown in cross section A-A' (fig. 16). 

Surface ~ ll3' 

"'0 

c: 

0 

"'0 

c: 

0 

en 

.2 

0 0 ° • Q 0 

• D •.• 

0 0 0 

.. 

0 . (] · .. 

• 0 0 . '· ... a·. ~ 0 .. 0 0 • 0 

: (J. 0 0 

.. '\) 0 • : ~: . ' . . . 

0 0 0 • r7. 

·o: · .. o· . .. '<l 

. c. ::a: 

g · · · · 0 · · Sea level -----~·----i------- ~~---

<!> ."() : ... • ~ •••• 

-

c: 

::s 

't:J 

cu 

Gardiners 

clay 

. ·.~. 

0 •• <V· . . . . . . ------ . . .. . . ---- . . . . . ----- . . . . . ----

-·-. -·--·-. • • Ill • 

----- •• 0 

...... -----

----- . . . . -.- -.--. . -: -. -·-.-:-.--;-

Mogothy(?). ·• ~-~·. formation -.- -. --.- --.- ~......:.. -

I 

27 

I 

77 

, 92 

FIGURE 15.-Generalized columnar section in Brookhaven area. 

The Gardiners clay underlying the Brookhaven area 

is a green-gray silty clay 10 to 20 feet thick. Many 

sections of the clay contairi gravel, and some contain 

sand lenses. In general the zones of true clay of the 

Gardiners are fossiliferous, and the sand and gr:avel 

are not. However, samples from wells of the Riv,erhead Water District, about 10 miles northeast of the 

Brookhaven Laboratory, reveal 11 feet of greenish 

fossiliferous Gardiners clay lying beneath 7 feet of 

fossiliferous sand and gravel and above 10 feet of 
t-:1 

-'1 

<:0 

~ 

00 

<:> 

I 

I s. 

A 

56457 56460 

56456 

91'-r---. 56434 

.---.-85' 

50' t-11, . n, 56459 53 1 'ss' ,...---,-44 tSetl 

level+-

50'H 

1-

Glacial sand and grovel 

150' -- . --

sw 

B 

5l5l 

1:::1 +-.---.-10' 

50' -1-

56458 

62'-,--

N. 

A' 

1-

1-

1-

1-

128'- . 

159'-i ••. 

NE. 

S5140T 

30' r--

B' 

II100' 

-------?-------------------.]2'1 . 77'- -

88'- = ~=~~w~------­ 150' ~4· 14

L------------------~"~ ~----?-----------------

I 0 2 MILES 

FWURE 16.-Cross sections, A-A! and B-B'. 

1017 

l'!lj 

0 

~ a= 

z 

~ 

~ 

~ 

> z 

l;:j 

0 

~ ~ 

0 

z 

0 

l'!lj 

0 

~ ~ 

z 

t:z:j 

~ 

U2 

a 

~ _t-<1 

~ 

0 

z 

0 

~ 

U2 

~ l;:j 

z 

!-< 

t-L 

~ 

-.:( 
148 SHORTER CONTRIBU'l'IONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

fossiliferous sand and gravel. The microfauna! assemblage of the clay is almost identical with that of 

the 2 zones of sand. The surface of this predominantly 

coarse-grained fossiliferous zone in Riverhead is 70 

feet below sea level. It is overlain by about 45 feet 

of unfossiliferous gray and brown clay, which is overlain by about 50 feet of typical glacial sand. 

Fuller (1914, p. 98) has reported outcrops of the 

Gardiners clay beneath the Jacob sand on the north 

shore. of Long Island at Roanoke Point and Jacobs 

Hill, 3 miles north of Riverhead. The writer examined 

the clay in these outcrops and found it to be unfossiliferous. Because more recently obtained evidence indicates that Gardiners clay is 70 feet below sea level 3 

miles south of Roanoke Point and Jacobs Hill, and 

because the Gardiners clay seems to thin toward the 

north and to grade into a shoreline sand and gravel 

facies, the writer believes that the clays described by 

Fuller are not part of the Gardiners clay but are equivalent to the 45-foot section of unfossiliferous clay that 

overlies the Gardiners in the Riverhead area. 

The most recent work on Gardiners Island has shown 

that the beds called the interglacial Gardiners clay 

actually consist of two clays of entirely different 

origin. The upper part (probably the red clay referred 

to by Fuller) is a reddish-brown varved glacial clay, 

and the lower part is a predominantly green fossiliferous 

interglacial clay. 

The reddish-brown varved clay on Gardiners Island 

and the gray-brown clays at Roanoke Point and Jacobs 

Hill both grade upward into the Jacob sand; so perhaps 

these clays are correlative, as Fuller has suggested. 

However, they are not part of the interglacial Gardiners 

clay but a younger glacial deposit. 

The Manhasset formation is now generally assumed 

to be of Wisconsin age, and the Gardiners clay apparently represents deposition during the most recent 

interglacial stage, the Sangamon. The Gardiners seems 

to be the only marine fossiliferous clay in the Pleistocene 

deposits of Long Island and is, therefore, a key bed in 

stratigraphic work, especially as many geologic correlations on the island are based on the examination of 

well samples. 

The middle unit of the Pleistocene deposits in the 

Brookhaven area overlies the Gardiners clay; it consists 

of about 50 feet of a fine- to medium-grained greenish 

clayey sand, whose color is due to a clay mineral, 

nontronite. This bed in the well logs is referred to as 

an unidentified unit. Its stratigraphic position suggests that this sand may correlate with the Jacob sand; 

but the glacial clay found on Gardiners Island and at 

Roanoke Point and Jacobs Hill is missing here, and1 

until more is known about the geology of eastern Long 

Island far too much guesswork would be involved :in 

an attempt to correlate this zone. 

The uppermost Pleistocene deposit in the Brookhaven 

area, which probably includes both the Manhasset 

formation and later drift, consists of about 150 feet of 

glacial outwash. This zone is predominantly coarse 

sand and gravel, typically poorly sorted, brown to tan, 

with some boulders and numerous smaller fragments of 

granite, gneiss, and schist. If there are any morainal 

deposits in this area, they were net revealed by the 

drilling. Although many of the wells were cored, 

nothing resembling a clayey till was found in the 

Brookhaven area. 

WELL DATA 

Samples were obtained from three sources: rotarydrill and cable-tool test wells drilled for the Brookhaven 

National Laboratory and privately drilled wells in 

the Brookhaven area. 

ROTARY -DRILL TEST WELLS 

Two test holes, 10 and 12 inches in diameter, were 

drilled to a depth of 1,600 feet to bedrock to obtain 

core samples of it and of the Cretaceous formations. 

These wells were drilled with a 64-foot rotary rig by 

the Layne-New York Co., Inc. ContinU:ous coring was 

attempted; and flume samples were collected at 10-foot 

intervals. The core recovery in the sands and elays 

of the Cretaceous formations was satisfactory, but 

all attempts to core the coarse glacial sand and 

gravel with the rotary wire-line coring apparatus were 

unsuccessful. 

In one of these rotary-drill wells, 86409, the first core 

obtained was 7 feet of fossiliferous clay below the 

glacial outwash material. Because core samples of the 

glacial outwash were desired and because the relation 

of the clay to the u)lderlying formations is also of 

importance, the following partially cored cable-tool 

wells were drilled in the Brookhaven area. 

CABLE-TOOL TEST WELLS 

Five wells 4 inches in diameter were driven by C. W. 

Lauman & Co., Inc .. Bailer san1ples were taken at each 

formational change, and cores 2 feet long were cut at 

intervals of 10 feet or less. These cores provided 

excellent samples of the glacial outwash material, of 

the fossiliferous clay bed where it is present beneath 

the glacial outwash, and of the clayey sands of the 

Magothy(?) formation below the fossiliferous clay. 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 149 

PRIVATELY DRILLED WELLS 

It was possible to obtain samples from several private 

wells in the Brookhaven area, although they were not 

drilled under the supervision of the U. S. Geological 

Survey. These are bailer samples from cable-tool wells, 

taken at each formational change. 

The samples and cores from all wells are described 

below. 

Description of samples from wells in the vicinhy of Brookhaven National Labomtory 

I 

Formation Method of recovery 

Glacial outwash_ Rotary wash 

sample. 

Gardiners clay__ Core and ro- tary wash 

sample. 

Magothy(?) 

formation. Rotary wash 

sample. 

Glacial outwash_ Rotary wa8h 

sample. 

Unidentified Small cores and 

unit. rotary wash 

sample. 

Description of material Fossils 

Well 86409 

Sand, fine to coarse, None __________________ _ 

brown, some gravel. 

Boulders in upper part 

of section, hard greengray clay chips in wash 

sample from -43 to 

-53 ft. Sand with graveL _____________ do _________________ _ 

Clay, silty and fine sandy, 

green when WE't, dries to 

blue gray. Few inches 

of :rJacked brown peaty 

vegetation at bottom 

of clay. 

Sand, fine to medium, 

gray, and fine gravel. 

Diatoms, small mollusks, some plant megaspores, a few ostracodes, and numerous foraminifers, including: 

Abundant: Elphidium 

jlorentinae. 

Common: 

Elphidium clavatum. 

E. incertum. 

E. ellisi. 

Nonion pauciloculum 

albiumbilicatum. 

Rotalia beccarii tepida. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum. 

Rare: 

Bulimina exUis. 

BuT.iminella elegantissima. 

Globigerina bulloides. 

N onion cf. N. labradoricum. 

Fissurina laevigata. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum JUgosa. 

None-----------------~-

Well 86434 

Sand and gravel, fine to 

coarse, brown. Boulders in upper part of 

section. 

Sand, fine to medium, 

gray, clayey (green-gray 

clay). 

I None_ .. _ _ _ . ______ . ___ _ 

I 

_____ do _________________ _ 

Thick- Altitude ness (top of of zone 

(feet) zone) 

166 + 113 

24 -53 

15 -77 

10 -92 

138 +85 

49 -53 

Remarks 

Poor core recovery. 

Increase in fine to me dium gravel content. 

The microfossils were found in a 7 -foot core from - 85 to 

-92ft. . 

This represents th~ top 

few feet of th:e 

Magothy(?) forma 

tion, which is known 

to be approximately 

900 ft thick in this area. 

Cores were greenish 

owing to a small 

amount of green 

clay. 
150 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

Description of samples f1·om wells in the vicinity of Brookhaven National Laboratory-Continued 

Formation M~thod of recovery 

Gardiners clay __ Clay lumps in 

rotary wash 

sample. 

Magothy(?) for- Small core and 

mation. rotary wash ~ample. 

Glacial outwash_ Drive cores and 

bailer sam- ples. 

Unidentified _____ do _______ _ 

unit. 

Gardiners clay _______ do _______ _ 

Description of material Fossils 

Well S6434-Continued 

Clay, green-gray and black, Diatoms _________________ 

micaceous. Some gravel 

at -115ft and below. 

Sand, medium, cla.yey, ~one ___________________ 

gray. 

WeUS6456 

Sand and gravel, fine to 

coatse, white to tan; some boulders in first 

10 ft. Thin brown 

clay streaks at +60, 

+42, and +8ft. 

Sand, fine to medium, 

gray, clayey (green-gray 

clay). 

Clay, silty, dark greenishgray. Gravel, medium 

to coarse, and clay lumps 

in bailer sample. 

Sand, white, medium to 

coarse; some gravel. 

Clay, dark-gray, brown at 

bottom. Brown peaty 

material at bottom. 

~one __________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

Diatoms ________________ _ 

Magothy (?) _____ do ________ Sand, medium to coarse, 

formation. dark-gray, micaceous, 

and traces of fine gravel. 

~one __________________ _ 

Glacial outwash_ Drive cores and 

bailer sam- ples. 

UnidenUfied _____ do _______ _ 

unit. 

Gardiners clay _____ do _______ , __ _ 

Well S6457 

Sand, medium to coarse, ~one __________________ _ 

light-brown, and fine to coarse gravel; boulders 

from +53 to + 30 ft. Sand, fine to medium, _____ do _________________ _ 

light-brown. Thin darkgray clay streak bet ween -69 and -71ft. 

Sand, coarse, and fine _____ do _________________ _ 

gravel, light yellowbrown. Some boulders 

at bottom of this zone. Sand, fine to medium, _____ do _________________ _ 

g~ay to buff, clayey; 

slightly coarser zones at -111 and from -122 

to-130ft. 

Sand, medium to coarse, _____ do _________________ _ 

light-brown, and gravel, 

fine to medium. 

Clay, solid, gray-brown. _____ do _________________ _ 

Contains glacial erratic 

material. 

Thick· Altitude ness (top of of zone 

(feet) zone) 

19 -102 

8 -121 

145 +91 

47 -54 

4 -101 

4 -105 

10 -109 

7 -119 

95 +53 

30 -42 

10 -72 

48 -82 

11 -130 

1 -141 

Remarks 

Only diatoms similar to 

the diatom assem- blage of S6409 were found in these clay 

lumps. Other microfossils may have 

been present, but no core was obtained; 

and only a sma.ll 

fraction of the clay 

stratum was ex- a mined. 

Top few feet of the 

Magothy(?) formation. 

Characterized by green 

color due to clay 

content. 

Diatoms, similar to 

those of S6409, were the only microfossils 

found in a 2%-foot core. Top few feet of the 

Magothy (?) formation. 

Characterized by green 

color due to clay 

content. 

Probably coarse ·lens 

in Gardiners clay. 
Formation 

Gardiners clay __ 

Magothy(?)formation. 

Glacial outwash_\ 

Magothy(?) 

formation. 

I 

FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 151 

Description of samples from wells in the vicin1:ty of Brookhaven National Laboratory-Continued 

--

Method of recovery Description of material I Fossils 

I Well 86457-Continued 

Drive cores and I Sand, clayey and loose, ~one ___________________ 

bailer sam- gray; very poorly sortpies. 1 

ed. 

Clay, solid, blue-gray _____ _____ do __________________ 

_____ do _______ Sand, fine to medium, _ ____ do __________________ 

slightly clayey, gray. 

Some lignite. 

: 

Well S6458 

Drive cores and : bailf'r sam- I Sand, fine to medium, tanbrown; some muscovite. 

Boulders at + 20 ft. ples. I Sand, medium to coarse, 

tan. Some medium to coarse gravel at +12ft. 

Drive core ____ _ 

Drive cores and 

bviler sam- ples. 

I 

Sand, fine to coarse, tanbrown. Fine to medi- um gravel at -12ft. 

Sand, fine, brown, becoming coarser with some gravel near bottom of zone. Sand, medium to coarse, 

1 yellow-brown, and some 

I 

fine gravel. 

Sand, predominately fine, 1 brown, well-sorted mi- caceous. Sand, medium to coarse, 

gray. 

Clay, silty, tough, lightgray. 

Sand, fine to medium 

gray. Thin clay and 

lignite streaks at -190 

and -195 ft. 

Kone __________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _______ ~----------

_____ do _________________ _ 

Plant megaspores ________ _ 

None __________________ _ 

Thick- Altitude ness (top of of zone 

(feet) zone) 

2 -142 

5 -144 

9 -149 

45 +62 

10 +17 

50 +7 

19 -43 

66 -62 

12 -128 

18 -140 

1 -158 

36 -159 

Remarks 

Although sam ples of 

ntained 

sils, its 

this clay co no microfos 

stratigraphic posit to be 

ay. 

tion shows i 

Gardiners cl 

Characteristic 

top few feet 

Magothy(?) 

tion in this 

of the 

of the 

formaarea. 

These sands may represent a reworked zone. They have manv of the characteristics of a typical 

sand of the Magothy(?) formation, 

but, in addition, con~ 

tain some erratic ma- terial which, on Long 

Island, is commonly 

confined to the glacial deposits. 

Plant spores indicate 

Cretaceous age. 

Probable reworked 

zone, plus absence 

of greenish sand and 

Gardiners clay, 

strongly suggest 

post-Garctiners ero- sion, possibly by glacial streams. 

This sand and thin 

clay at -158 ft 

represent the top of 

the Magothy(?) formation. 
152 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

Description of samples from wellg in the vicinity oj B1'ookhaven National Laboratory-Continued 

Formation Method of recovery 

Glacial outwash_ Drive cores and 

bailer sam- ples. 

Unidentified _____ do _______ _ 

unit. 

Gardiners clay ______ .do _______ _ 

Mag o thy ( ? ) _____ do _______ _ 

formation. 

Glacial outwash_ Drivecoresand 

bailer sam- ples. 

Unidentified _____ do _______ _ 

unit. 

Gardiners clay _______ do _______ _ 

Magothy(?) for- _____ do _______ _ 

mation. 

Description of material Fossils 

WellS6459 

Sand, medium to coarse, None __________________ _ 

light-brown; medium to coarse gravel throughout. 

Sand, predominantly med- _____ do __ · _______________ _ 

ium, tan. 

Sand, medium to coarse, _____ do _________________ _ 

light-brown; with fine to 

medium gravel. Sand, chiefly coarse, yel- _____ do _________________ _ 

low-brown. 

Sand, fine to medium _____ do _________________ _ 

(coarser zone with some gravel at -66 to -69 

ft), gray with green tint 

when wet. 

Clay, silty and sandy, green Diatoms ________________ _ 

when wet, dries to bluegray. Medium to coarse well-rounded gravel in 

lower part of clay. . Sand, fine to medium, None __________________ _ 

clayey, gray. 

WeliS6460 

Sand, fine to coarse, tan, 

poorly sorted; some fine 

to medium rounded 

gravel. 

Sand, predominantly me- dium tan; with a few 

well-rounded pebbles. 

Sand, medium to coarse, 

tan; fine to coarse gravel 

scattered throughout. 

Sand, fine to medium, micaceous, tan. 

Sand, predominantly me- dium, finer near base, 

well-sorted; distinct yellow-tan color. 

Clay, silty and fine sand. 

Green when wet, dries 

to blue gray. 

Clay, green-gray, with 

much sand; fine gravel; 

and some coarse gravel. 

Sand, fine to medium, 

clayey, gray. 

None __________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

_____ do_ -· __ - ____________ _ 

_ ____ do _________________ _ 

Foraminifera: Abundant _____________ _ 

Elphidium clavatum. 

E. florentinae. Eponides frigid us calidus. 

Common: 

Elphidium incertum. 

E. ellisi. 

Rare: Bulimina exilis. None __________________ _ 

_____ do _________________ _ 

Thick- Altitude ness (top of of zone 

(feet) zone) 

55 +44 

15 -11 

10 -26 

25 -36 

31 -61 

9 -92 

15 -101 

45 +55 

15 +10 

55 -5 

25 -60 

39 -85 

5 -124 

11 -129 

5 -140 

Remarks 

A few specimens of 

only one very small 

diatom species were found here. 

Represents the top of 

the Magothy(?) 

formation. 

Clay zone contained 

Foraminifera only, 

with a varied Elphi- dium assemblage predominating as in 

S6409. Eponides frigid us calidus, abundant here, was not seen in 86409. 

Top few feet of the 

Magothy(?). formation. 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 153 

Description of samples from wells in the vicinity of Brookhauen National Laboratory-Continued 

Thick- Altitude 

Formation Method of recovery Description of material Fossils ness (top of of zone 

(feet) zone) 

Well 8151 

[Description from samples furnished by driller and examined by F. G. Wells] 

Glacial outwa.."'h_ Bailer samples_ 

Gardiners clay _______ do _______ _ 

Sand and gravel, yellow___ None __________________ _ 

Sand, fine, yellow ______________ do----------------- Gravel, coarse _________________ do _________________ _ 

Sand, straw-colored ____________ do _________________ _ Gravel, coarse, rounded; _____ do _________________ _ 

quartz pebbles as much 

a,-, 2 em, angular fragments of schist and diabase. 

Sand, gray, with much _____ do _________________ _ 

mica. Gravel, dirty-gray _____________ do _________________ _ 

Clay, very fine, blue, Sample at -112 f11: One 

sandy; fine brown sand. Elphidium incertum. 

Some shell fragments. Sample at -127 ft: 

Abundant: Elphidiuin 

incertum. 

Rare: 

Eponides frigid us cal£-

dus. 

Nonion pauciloculum 

albiumbilicatum. 

Globulina glaciali.<J. 

Pseudopolymorphina 

novangliae. Clay, blue, sandy _________ Sample at -143 ft: 

Rare: 

Elphidium incettum. 

Eponides frigid tis calid-us. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum. 

Sand, black, silty _________ ------------------------- Sand, salt-and-pepper, None __________________ _ 

very dark gray. 

Magothy(?) for- _____ do ________ Sand, fine micaceous, very _____ do _________________ _ 

mation. gray. 

Well S5140T 

Glacial outwash_ Bailer samples_ Sand, fine to coarse, brown_ None __________________ _ Clay, solid, brown _____________ do _________________ _ Clay, solid, light-gray __________ do _________________ _ 

Gravel, fine to coarse, with _____ do _________________ _ 

sand and light yellowbrown clay mixed. 

Sand, medium, clayey, gray ______ do _________________ _ 

Gardiners clay _______ do ________ Sand, medium to coarse, Foraminifera ____________ _ 

green-gray, clayey; some coarse gravel and shell 

fragments. 

Abundant: 

Elphidium clavatum. 

E. jlorentinae. 

Common: Quinqueloculina seminulum. 

Rare: 

Elphidium incertum. 

E. ellisi. 

Eponides frigid us calidus. 

29 +10 

15 -19 

7 -34 

30 -41 

14 -71 

10 -85 

11 -95 

21 -106 

16 -127 

3 -143 

6 -146 

40 -152 

48 

5 

38 

4 

5 

7 

+30 

-18 

-23 

-61 

-65 

-70 

Remarks 

Only small samples ex amined from the 

sand lenses in this 

clay, but the incomplete fossil record 

reveals a foraminif 

eral assemblage char 

acteristic of the 

Gardiners clay. 

No samples. 

High glauconite con- tent. Probably Gardiners clay. 

There are numerous reports of clay·in the 

glacial outwash of 

the Riverhead area, 

but the origin of the 

clay is as yet un- known. 

The fossiliferous sand zones in this well, 

with coarse gravel 

and thick shell fragments, are indicative of shoreline 

deposition. This 

suggests that the 

Gardiners clay in the 

Brookhaven area · was a deposit whose 

• 
• 

154 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

Description of sarp,ples }rom wells in the vicinhy of Brookhaven National Laboratory-Continued 

Thick- Altitude 

Formation Method of recovery Description of material Fossils ness (top of Remarks of zone 

(feet) zone) 

Well S5140T-Continued 

Gardiners clay__ Bailer samples_ Clay, silty, green-gray ___ _ 

Clay, sand, and coarse gravel mixed; shell fragments. 

Chiefly coarse gravel and 

very thick shell fragments. 

Sand, gravel, and clay, 

mixed; shell fragments. 

Sand, medium, light yellowish-brown. 

One diatom specimen and numerous foraminifers 

including: 

Abundant: 

Elphidium clavatum. 

E. jlorentinae. 

Common: 

Nonion pauciloculum 

alMurnbilicatum. 

Fissurina laevigata. 

Rare: 

Elphidium incertum. 

E. ellisi. 

Eponides frigt:dus calidus. 

Discorbis globularis. 

Entosolenia marginata. 

Diatoms numerous and numerous foraminifers, 

including: 

Abundant: 

Elphidium clavatum. 

E. ftorentinae. 

Rare: 

Elphidiurn incertum. 

E. ellisi. 

Discorbis globularis. 

Pseudopolymorphina 

novangliae. 

Nonionella sp. 

Pelecypod shell fragments as much as 7~ in. thick. 

Some small mollusks, two 

diatom specimens, and numerous foraminifers, 

including: 

Abundant: 

Elphidium clavaturn. 

E. jlorentinae. 

Common: Rotalia beccarii 

tepida. 

Rare: 

Elphidiurn incerturn. 

E. ellisi. 

Eponides jrigidus calidus. 

Ouinqueloculina seminulum. 

Entosolenia laevigata. 

N onion pauciloculum 

albiumb£licatum. 

Patellina corrugata. None __________________ _ 

11 -77 

2 -88 

6 -90 

7 -96 

I 

shoreline sand facies was somewhat north 

of the laboratory 

gro u n as, although more information 

would be necessary 

to determine the 

northernmost extent 

of the clay. 

Sample bottle contained 

only coarse gravel 

and thick shell fragments. 

Magothy(?) for- _____ do ________ Clay, light-gray, silty, and ____ do __________________ _ 

mation. fine sand. 

21-103 

21 1 -105 

I 

Top of Magothy(?) for 

mation. 

CONDITIONS OF DEPOSITION 

EVIDENCE FROM WELL SAMPLES 

A core 7 feet long, taken with a rotary wire-line core 

barrel in well 86409, was studied in detail. This core 

represents the lower 7 feet of a clay zone about 15 

feet thick, extending from 77 to 92 feet below sea level. 

Sections of the core were examined at 6-inch intervals, and a total of 15 samples were obtained. The 

method of washing and concentrating was similar to 

that described above, except that 2 additional sieves 

were used, 80- and 325-mesh. This resulted in better 

sorting and henee a more accurate systematic search. 

Eaeh sieve sample was examined separately on a search 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 155 

plate with numbered squares, and the abundance of 

each species was noted. 

The core is a blue-gray sandy silty clay that is green 

when wet. It contains much finely divided muscovite 

and silt-sized quartz grains, a great deal of woody and 

fibrous plant material, and some small frag1nents of 

hard black lignitized plant material. At the base of 

the core is a few inches of hard, tightly packed brown 

pea.tlike plant matter. 

There are various microfossils in this clay core. 

Figure 17 shows how the comparative abundance of 

the more common forn1s varies with d,~pth in the clay. 

Environmental changes of some sort are indicated near 

the top of the core and between 4 and 6 feet. Inasmuch as Foraminifera throughout the core suggest 

depositiun in very shallow water (Parker, 1948, p. 221), 

one might expect that some changes occurred in the 

environment during deposition, with perhaps an accompanying change in the microfauna. 

The uppermost part of the core contains numerous 

diatoms but no other microfossils. The same diatom 

species are found associated with the foraminifers and 

other microfossils throughout the rest of the core. In 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

( 

~ 

\ 

\ 

Elphidium 

floreminae 

\ 

I 

I 

-

( \ Nonian 

pauciloculum 

albiumbiliccuum 

I Rotalia 

beccarii 

tepida 

two other wells in the area, 86434 and 86436, similar 

diatom species were the only microfossils found in the 

clay. In well 86459 only a few very small specimens 

of one diaton1 species were found. The clay in another 

well, 86460, contains only foraminifers, and in still 

another, 85140T, only 2 feet of a 30-foot fossiliferous 

zone.eontains diatoms. 

It would see1n, therefore, that the foraminifers and 

diatoms were not always favored by the same environment. The question is, What type of environment, 

what set of conditions, suited one group and not the 

other? 

Under conditions of very shallow water deposition a 

change in depth of water would not in itself affect the 

faunal assemblage, but the possible environmental 

changes due to a slight fluctuation of sea level probably 

would have great influence on the paleontology and 

lithology of the sediment. Such a small absolute 

change of sea level in the littoral zone would result in 

a large relative change, possibly affecting currents, 

salinity, and temperature, which would change that 

area of deposition exposed between high and low tides. 

A ehange in currents and in the position of the tidal 

Top of core 

Diatoms ool y 

.. 

I I 

~ SCALE 

Number 

of specimens 

I I 

' More than 100, very ·abundant 

c:=J 

50-100, abundant 

D 25- 50, oomerous 

0 5-25, common 

I Less than 5, rare 

QuiTIIJueloculirut PELECYPODS GASTROPODS seminula 

FIGURE 17.-Relative abundance of microfossils in well 86409. 
156 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

zone would result in variable deposition. Such deposition is suggested by the lithologic changes in the clay 

underlying the Brookhaven area. For example, there 

are unfossiliferous lenses of sand in wells S6456 and 

86457; coarse sand and gravel mixed with unfossiliferous clay in wells S6434, S6456, S6459, and S6460; 

and much peaty material in wells S6456 and 86409. 

Vegetal matter was rare in the other wells. 

However, the fossiliferous clay sections of the 

Brookhaven wells are quite similar lithologically, all 

consisting of sandy and silty clay, but, as stated 

above, some have different microfossil assemblages. 

This might suggest that the microfossils are found only 

in the finer textured zones of the clay, but in well 

S5140T there are both sand and clay zones that contain 

a fossil fauna similar to that of well S6409. Although 

bottom conditions changed during deposition of the 

clay, some uniform clay beds contain different microfossil assemblages, and, on the other hand, some sand 

beds and some clay beds contain similar microfossil 

assemblages-a point which indicates that the occurrence of the various microfossils was not governed 

primarily by differences in the type of sediment. 

Another factor to be considered as a cause of changing 

biofacies is that of variation in salinity. The foraminiferal assembl~ge, with Elphidium, Rotalia, and 

Nonion the most abundant genera, suggests a brackishwater environment (Glaessner, 1947, p. 190-191). 

Other Foraminifera in the fossiliferous sediments of 

the Brookhaven area that have been found occasionally 

in water of low salinity are Eponides jrigidus, Quinqueloculina, Fissurina, and Discorbis. Another indication of low salinity is the presence of some specimens 

of Pinnularia major, a fresh-water diatom. However, 

there are also some specimens of a typical marine 

pelagic foraminifer, Globigerina bulloides, in the clay. 

These fossils would seem to indicate a brackish lagoonal 

or bay area, influenced both by fresh-water streams 

and by some access to ·the open ocean. 

The Brookhaven area during Gardiners time was 

principally one of clay deposition. However, the sand 

and gravel in some zones of the clay indicate that 

coarser material, presumably derived locally, was 

occasionally swept into the quiet waters. This type 

of sedimentation in shallow, probably brackish, water 

also suggests a bay or lagoonal deposit perhaps somewhat similar to those in the bays protected by the 

offshore bar on the present south shore of Long Island. 

The formation of an offshore bar during Gardiners 

time is compatible with the theory that an interglacial 

sea rose along a gently shelving coast, conditions that 

are very favorable to the formation of bars and related 

depositional features. 

An occasional increase in the transporting power of 

the streams emptying into this Pleistocene bay, possibly 

during flood stages, or perhaps a more vigorous advance 

of the ocean through a break in the bar, might very 

well lead to deposition of a gravel-clay mixture in the 

quiet waters of the bay. 

With the numerous small streams now flowing into 

Great South Bay and with its· ocean inlets, one might 

expect bottom conditions similar to those of Gardiners 

time. Previous studies have shown that the salinity 

of Great South Bay is not uniform. The chloride 

content ranges from 6,000 ppm in the eastern end of 

the Bay to 17,000 ppm in the western end near the 

Fire Island Inlet (Whipple, 1912, p. 474-490). 

EVIDENCE FROM DREDGED SAMPLES 

Samples were dredged from several locations in the 

Patchogue Bay area of Great South Bay. The chloride 

content of the water in this area is about 11,600 ppm, 

whereas in the open ocean it is 19,000. to 20,000 ppm. 

A bottom sample taken 1 mile off the Patchogue 

shore, in 9 feet of brackish water, consisted of a soft 

dark-gray mud containing a microfauna strikingly 

similar to that of the Gardiners clay. The Foraminifera predominant in both are Elphidium clavatum, 

E. jlorentinae, Rotalia beccarii tepida, Nonion pauciloculum albiumbilicatum, and Eponidesjrigidus calidus. 

The main difference between the Recent and Pleistocene 

foraminiferal faunas is the presence of arenaceous 

Foraminifera in the Recent material. It has long been 

thought that arenaceous Foraminifera prefer a coldwater environment. However, to assume on this basis 

that the climate during Gardiners time was warmer 

than that of the present is highly speculative. 

The Gardiners clay and the Recent mud of Great 

South Bay contain many similar diatom species also. 

Although a complete study was not made of the d~atoms, such genera as Campylodiscus, Triceratium, 

Coscinodiscus, and Auliscus were recognized in both · 

deposits. One verynoticeable difference in the diatom 

faunas is the abundance of Pleurosigma in the Recent 

material and its absence from the Pleistocene clay. 

Some bottom samples were taken from Patchogue 

Creek, a small estuary modified by dredging, which 

has a chloride content of 9,800 ppm, and from several 

locations in Long Island Sound where the chloride 

content is 18,500 ppm. 

Foraminifera are very scarce in Patchogue Creek. 

Only five specimens of Elphidium clavatum, two of 

Nonion, one of Eponides jrigidus calidus, and two of 

arenaceous Foraminifera were found in this sample. 

AU these specimens are small and have indistinct 

characters. Diatoms, however, are numerous in this 

dredge sample. Because the creek is highly polluted, 

it is difficult to determine whether the paucity of 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 157 

Foraminifera is due to the pollution or to their being 

less tolerant than diatoms of water of this salinity. 

Among the common diatoms in this sample are Oampylodiscus, Ooscinodiscus, Triceratium, and Pinnularia 

major, a fresh-water diatom species rarely present in 

the Gardiners clay fauna. 

A thoroughly systematic dredging program was not 

attempted in Long Island Sound. Two small areas were 

sampled, one extending from Herod Point half a mile 

offshore and the other from Baiting Hollow to a point 

a mile offshore. Between Herod Point and Baiting 

Hollow, in an area that extends from a few feet to 

half a mile offshore, there is a sand bottom at depths 

from 10 to 25 feet. The most abundant foraminifer in 

this zone is a species of Elphidium that is not found in 

the Gardiners clay. Other microfossils in this zone are 

present in the Gardiners clay: Eponides frigid us calidus, 

Quinqueloculina seminula, Globulina glacialis, a few 

immature Elphidium jlorentinae, and a few diatom species. Arenaceous Foraminifera were found in all the 

samples dredged from the sound. 

One sample was dredged 1 mile off Baiting Hollow, 

where the depth to the mud bottom is 60 feet. Elphidium jlorentinae and Eponides frigidus calidus are 

abundant, and Elphidium clavatum is fairly common. 

Ooscinodiscus, Trice1atium, and Auliscus are among the 

diatom genera found in this sample. 

The abundance of Elphidium jlorentinae and Eponides 

frigidus calidus in both the fairly deep water of Long 

Island Sound and the shallow water of Great South 

Bay is some indication of the degree of tolerance these 

forms have for variations of depth and salinity. · Both 

locations have mud bottoms, but neither of the Foraminifera is restricted to a mud-bottom environment. 

Eponides frigidus calidus is found in samples dredged 

from a sandy bottom in the sound, and Elphidium 

jlorentinae is present in some sandy zones of the Gardiners clay. 

To summarize the results of the dredging in waters 

near the Brookhaven area, the sample that contained a 

microfossil assemblage most similar to that of the 

Gardiners clay was dredged from the shallow brackish 

water of Great South Bay. This similarity of fossil 

assemblages is the most convincing evidence for the 

theory that the Gardiners clay was deposited in an 

environment not unlike that of the present Great 

South Bay. 

The bay lies between the mainland of Long Island 

and a barrier beach on the south. The barrier beach is 

continually changing in shape and extent. There is 

slow migration of the inlets as sand is deposited on 

one side of an inlet and eroded on the other. Tidal 

currents carry sand an apprecittble distance through 

these inlets and deposit it on the bottom of the bay, 

and the same currents probably scour some of the 

previously deposited mud from the bottom and locally 

replace it with sand. Waves sweep across the barrier 

beach and form new inlets during heavy storms. At 

such times it is reasonable to expect major local changes 

in the nature of the bottom of the bay. 

If the Gardiners clay in eastern Long Island was 

deposited under conditions similar to those existing in 

Great South Bay, similar variations in the deposits, 

particularly in the lenses of sand, are to be expected 

in the Gardiners clay. 

CONCLUSIONS 

1. The Gardiners clay in the Brookhaven area, 

a Pleistocene interglacial clay, is variable in its thickness, lithology, and fossil content-indicating some 

environmental changes during deposition. 

2. The clay, therefore, probably does not constitute 

a complete hydraulic seal between the water-table 

aquifer and the underlying Cretaceous aquifers except 

in localized areas. 

3. The foraminiferal assemblage in the Gardiners 

clay is very similar to that of the mud at the bottom 

of Great South Bay at present and is therefore indicative of shallow-water, probably brackish-water, 

deposition. 

4. The fauna, gravel-clay mixtures found in some 

wells, and the probable type of Pleistocene seacoast 

during Gardiners time all indicate deposition in a bay 

or lagoonal area protected by an offshore bar. 

5. The Recent foraminiferal fauna of Great South 

Bay differs from that of the Gardiners clay mainly in 

the presence of arenaceous Foraminifera. This may 

indicate that the climate during Gardiners time was 

warmer than that of the present, but more investigation is necessary before definite conclusions can 

be drawn. 

.SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIONS 

FORAMINIFERA 

Family NONIONIDAE 

Genus NONION Montfort, 1808 

Nonion pauciloculum albiumbilicatum Weiss, n. subsp. 

Plate 32, fj.gures 1, 2 

Test small, bilaterally symmetrical, compressed, 

periphery rounded, margin entire or very slightly 

lobulate, biumbilicate, umbilical regions very finely 

papillate with minute granules of shell material extending along sutures and on apertural face, and 

covering first chamber of last whorl. Papillose areas 

whiter than rest of wall material, giving test a dis-
158 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

tinctive appearance. Chambers few, 7 to 9 in last 

formed whorl, slightly inflated, distinct; sutures distinct, slightly curved, depressed, limbate, wide in 

umbilical region, gradually tapering towards periphery. 

Wall calcareous hyaline, smooth, transparent, coarsely 

perforate. Aperture not -visible in last chamber, but 

short slightly curved slit may be seen at base of penultimate septal face with minute ridges fanning out 

from aperture. 

Diameter as much as 0.35 mm, thickness as much as 

0.15 mm. 

Nonion cf. N, labradoricum (Dawson) 

Plate 32, figure 3 

Nonion labradoricum (Dawson). Cushman, 1939, U. S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 191, p. 23. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 24, pl. 3, fig. 23. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 52, pl. 6, fig. 2. 

Test small, completely involute, umbilical regions 

depressed, margin entire except last 2 to 3 chambers 

slightly lobulate, periphery rounded; chambers as 

numerous as 10 in last whorl, indistinct in early stages, 

slightly inflated, in apertural view widening rapidly 

toward axis of coiling; early sutures indistinct, later 

ones slightly depressed ·and curved·; wall calcareous 

hyaline, perforate: aperture a thin arched slit at base 

of last septal face. 

Diameter as much as 0.36 mm. 

Common in some sections of the Gardiners clay, rare 

or absent in others. 

Genus NONIONELLA Cushman, 1926 

N onionella sp. 

Plate 32, figure 4 

Typical Nonionella, involute on one side, slightly 

evolute on other, with chambers rapidly iucreasing in 

height. As only one specimen was found and the last 

chamber (and perhaps even more) of this specimen 

was missing, no attempt at specific identification was 

made. 

Genus ELPHIDIUM Montfort, 1808 

Cushman (1944, p. 25) states that Elphidium isThe most common genus in t.he New England material and 

there are either many species or else a great amount of variation. 

It would make a good problem for someone to make cultures of 

some of these forms and determine what the limits of variation 

really are. 

The writer has found a similar situation in the forms 

in the Gardiners clay. The genus Elphidium predominates in the foraminiferal assemblage and shows a 

tremendous amount of variation in certain species. 

Cushman (1944) further states: 

For the most part the different forms are usually found in the 

colder waters l\IOrth of Cape Cod or in the warmer waters to the 

south, thus seeming to show that they are probably not simply 

variants. An attempt has been made to assign specific names 

to some of the more common and best characterized forms. 

Altogether, four species of Elphidium are represented 

in the Gardiners clay in the Brookhaven region. These 

are Elphidium incertum, E. jlorentinae, $. clavatum, and 

E. ellisi, n. sp. The writer is of the opinion, however, 

that most of the specimens of Elphidium in the Gardiners clay, and perhaps those of the New England 

waters, are variants of one species, E. clm,atum. The 

variations are probably due to slight changes in environment. Cushman (1944) stated that his Elpkidium 

incertum (Williamson) var. clavatum was more common 

in theN ew England waters than the typical E. incertum. 

This condition also prevails in the Gardiners clay assemblage where E. clavatum shows a great range of 

characters. Examination of the literature has revealed that other authors have also found extreme variation in this form (Voorthuysen, 1949, p. 63; Brady, 

1884, p. 734; and Sidebotton1, 1909, p. 14). 

Elphidium clavatum differs from E. incertum in having 

a number of larg·e distinct bosses in the umbilical region. 

It is the size and distribution of these bosses on the 

test and the degree of opacity of the test (both results 

of superficial deposition) that are the major variables 

within the group of E. clavatum in the Gardiners clay. 

On this basis, it seems that the group comprises two 

'forn1s: 

One form contains individuals with white opaquetests, indistinct sutures, and numerous irregularly ar--

ranged bosses confined mainly to the umbilical region. 

This is the form in which n10st of the variation occurs. 

The opacity appears to be due to deposition of shell 

material that obscures the characters of the test and 

variously ornaments the shell. 

The second form includes specimens with yellowishbrown commonly translucent tests, also with irregularly arranged bosses in the umbilical region, but, in 

the fully matured form, with a definite row of bosses 

filling in the pores along the sutures. Shupack's 

species Elphidium florentinae falls in this group (Shupack, 1934). 

That these forms are related ca,n be shown in threeways. First, by breaking away some of the chambers 

of the opaque specimens belonging in the first form, 

the young stage of the second form can be seen-the 

brownish translucent test with limbate sutures of clear 

shell material. Second, intermediate individuals, such 

as large opaque specimens with bosses along the sutures,. 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 159 

or young translucent individuals with a tendency 

towards opacity, show the transition from one stage to 

another. Finally, thin sections show no internal difference between the two forms. Obviously the difference 

between the forms is due to superficial deposition. 

Because the variation in the Elphidium clavatum 

group is so great, it appears best to follow Shupack's 

example in giving specific rank to E. clavatum. The 

second form of the E. clavatum group is so distinctive 

and so predominant in the Pleistocene and Recent of 

Long Island that it deserves to be differentiated. Inasmuch as Shupack's Elphidium florentinae is representative of this form, it seems best to retain the name 

E. florentinae for it. 

Elphidium(1) ellisi Weiss, n. sp. 

Plate 32, figures 5, 6 

Test small, slightly longer than broad, compressed, 

periphery rounded, margin entire except last 3 or 4 

chambers slightly lobulate, umbilical regions with a 

large boss of clear calcite, often slightly raised. Chambers numerous, 14 to 16 in last whorl, very slightly 

inflated, distinct. Sutures distinct, straight to very 

slightly curved, early sutures limbate, flush with surface 

of test., last 3 or 4 sutures depressed and show characteristic s~~ptal pores, about 5 on each side of test. Owing 

to difference in length of alar prolongations, last septal 

face is slightly canted in apertural view, giving test a 

somewhat asymmetrical appearance. Species tends to 

become slightly evolute-more so on side of test where 

shorter alar prolongations do not extend to umbilical 

boss-and the first few chambers of the previous whorl 

may be seen. Where umbilical area is raised, a slight 

depression or trench on both sides of test between the 

end of the chambers and the large boss is often present. 

Wall ealcareous hyaline, smooth, coarsely perforate. 

Aperture a row of small pores at base of last septal face, 

often with a few supplementary pores on septal face 

itself. 

In general appearance, this species is similar to Nonion 

chapapotense Cole in possessing the large central boss 

and the grooved area between the boss and the inner 

ends of the chambers. However, the presence of septal 

pores and the characteristic aperture suggest that this 

form be placed in the genus Elphidium. 

Length as much as 0.32 mm, breadth as much as 0.24 

mm, thickness as much as 0.12 mm. 

Elphidium incertum (Williamson) 

Plate 32, figure 7 

Polystornella umbilicatula (Walker and Jacob) var. incerta Williamson, 1858, Recent Foraminifera of Great Britain, 

p .. 44, pl. 3, figs. 82, 82a. 

Polystomella striato-punctata (Fichtel and Moll) var. incerta 

Kiaer, 1900, Norwegian Fishery and Mari_ne Inv. Rept., 

v. 1, no. 7, p. 51, Kristiana. 

Elphidiurn incerturn (Williamson). Cushman, 1930, U. S. Natl. 

Mus. Bull. 104, pt. 7, p. 18, pl. 7, figs. 4-9. 

Shupack, 1934, Am. Mus. Novitates 737, p. 12, figs. lOa, b. 

Cushman, 1939, U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 191, p. 57, 

pl. 15, figs. 21-24. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 25, pl. 3, figs. 28-31. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 56, pl. 6, fig. 7. 

Test small, bilaterally symmetrical, compressed, 

periphery rounded, margin entire or with last few 

chambers slightly lobulate, umbilical region slightly 

raised owing to a single boss or knob. of shell material. 

Chambers few, commonly nine in last whorl, slightly, 

if at all, inflated, distinct; sutures distinct, depressed, 

narrow, slitlike near umbilical region, with a single row 

of indistinct retral processes. Aperture a row of large 

pores at base of last septal face. 

This species is most similar in appearance to Cushman's Elphid1~um 1'ncertum from Casco Bay, Maine 

(Recent). 

Diameter as much as 0.35 mm, thickness as much as 

0.15 mm. 

Elphidium florentinae Shupack 

Plate 32, figures 8-11 

Elphidium florentinae Shupack, 1934, Am. Mus. N ovitates 737, 

p. 9, pl., figs. 5a, b. 

Elphidiurn brooklynense Shupack, ibid., p. 10, _pl., figs. 7a, b. 

Elphidium incertum (Williamson) var. clavatum Cushman. 

Voorthuvsen 1949 ~ederlandsch Geol.-Mijnb. Genoot. 

Verh. G~ol. ~er., D~el 15, stuk 1, p. 65, pl., figs. 4b, c. 

Test bilaterally symmetrical, compressed, periphery 

rounded margin entire except last 3 chambers slightly 

lobulate: umbilical regions flush or slightly raised owing 

to numerous irregularly arranged bosses of clear shell 

material. Chambers 10 to 13 in last formed whorl, 

usually 10 to 11, slightly, if at all, inflated, distinct; 

sutures distinct, straight to slightly curved, limbate, 

well marked bv bosses of clear shell rna terial filling 

in pores, except for first few sutures of las~ whorl that 

are filled with smooth bands of clear calcite, and last 

2 or 3 sutures that show a single row of indistinct retral 

processes. Sutural bosses less distinct on smal~er, 

immature forms, and, although the number varies, 

about half the early sutures on young forms are limbate 

and filled with cle~r calcite. Wall calcareous hyaline, 

smooth finelv perforate, generally yellow-brown. Aperture ~row ~f pores at base of last septal face, with a 

series of ridges bordering pores and extending along 

first chamber of last whorl. When specimen is sectioned or cut in to, these ridges can also be seen along 

peripheral edge of preceding whorl. 
160 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

Diameter, 0.40 to 0.60 mm, thickness, 0.20 to 0.30 

mm. 

Elphidium clavatum Cushman 

Plate 32, figures 12-14 

Elpht"dium incertum (Williamson) var. clavatum Cushman, 1930, 

U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 104, pt. 7, p. 20, pl. 7, figs. lOa, b. 

Cushman, 1939, U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 191, p. 57, 

pl. 16, figs. 1, 2. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 25, pl. 3, figs. 32, 33. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 57, pl. 6, fig. 8. 

Test small, bilaterally symmetrical, periphery 

rounded, margin entire or very slightly lobulate, more 

so in last few chambers; umbilical regions flush or 

slightly raised owing to numerous, irregularly arranged 

bosses, some opaque and others of clear shell material: 

chambers few, commonly less than 10 in last formed 

whorl, slightly, if at all inflated, indistinct; sutures 

generally indistinct, narrow and depressed as in Elphidium incertum in some specimens, flush and limbate 

in others, and rarely with a few indistinct bosses along 

some sutures. Many specimens combine two or all 

three conditions. Retral processes few, and usually 

can only be seen along last or next to last suture. Wall 

calcareous, perforate, with various degrees of opacity, 

white to yellowish-brown. Aperture a row of pores at 

base of last septal face, a few specimens with pores on 

septal face itself, and with faint ridges bordering pores 

and extending along first chamber of previous whorl. 

Diameter as much as 0.65 mm, thickness as much as 

0.35mm. 

Family ROTALIIDAE 

Genus ROTALIA Lamarck, 1804 

Rotalia beccarii tepida Cushman 

Plate 33, figure 1 

Rotalia beccarii (Linne) var. tepida Cushman, 1926, Carnegie 

Inst. Pub. 344 (Dept. Marine Biology Papers, v. 23), p. 79. 

Test small, biconvex, dorsal side slightly more so than 

ventral, as many as 10 chambers in last whorl; peripheral margin .rounded, slightly lobulate; sutures lim bate 

on dorsal side, depressed on ventral; ventral chambers 

end in angular points in umbilical region;wall calcareous 

hyaline, perforate; aperture a narrow slit beneath inner 

angle of last formed chamber, often supplemented by a 

small nearly circular opening at base of last septal face. 

The Gardiners clay specimens of this variety closely 

agree with Cushman's original description except that 

Cushman's forms have 6 to 7 chambers in the final 

whorl. 

Diameter as much as 0.35 mm. 

Abundant. 

Genus EPONIDES Montfort, 1808 

Eponides frigidus calidus Cushman and Cole 

Plate 33, figure 2 

Eponides frigida (Cushman) var. calida Cushman and Cole, 

1930, Contr. Cushman Lab. Foram. Research, v. 6, p. 98, 

pl. 13, fig. 13. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 34, pl. 4, figs. 19, 20. 

Test small, biconvex, more so on dorsal than on 

ventral side; 6 to 7 chambers in last whorl; peripheral 

margin rounded, slightly lobulate; dorsal sutures 

oblique, slightly depressed, distinct; ventral sutures 

distinct, depressed, slightly curved, radial, limbate, 

filled with finely papillate white shelL material also 

covering umbilical region and apertural area. W'all 

calcareous hyaline, perforate. 

Diameter as much as 0.40 rilm. 

Abundant in some sections of the Gardiners clay, 

rare or absent in others. 

Genus DISCORBIS Lamarck, 1804 

Disc or bis glo bularis ( d' Orbigny) 

Plate 33, figure 3 

Rosalina globularis d'Orbigny, 1826, Annales sci. nat., ser. Jere, 

tome 7, p. 271, pl. 13, figs. 1-4, Pads. 

Discorbis globulan's (d'Orbigny). Cushman, 1915, U. S. Natl. 

Mus. Bull. 71, pt. 5, p. 11-12, pl. 9, fig. 4; pl. 12, figs. 10, 

11. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, 9ushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 68, pl. 7, fig. 12. 

Test small, planoconvex, ventral side flattened; 

chambers distinct, commonly five. in last whorl, with 

ventral flap partly covering umbilical region; sutures 

slightly depressed and slightly curved; wall calcareous 

hyaline, perforate; aperture at base of last septal face, 

extending toward ventral side of test, often with a lip. 

Diameter as much as 0.32 mm. 

Rare. 

Genus PATELLINA Williamson, 1858 

Patellina corrugata Williamson 

Plate 33, figure 4 

Patellina corrugata Williamson, 1858, Royal Soc. London, pl. 3, 

figs. 86-89, 89a. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 67-68, pl. 7, fig. 11. 

Test small, dorsal side conical, ventral flat, long 

crescentic chambers divided into chamberlets by short 

internal radial septa; wall calcareous hyaline, perforate, 

thin; aperture elongate, at base of ventral side of last 

chamber. 

Diameter as much as 0.25 mm. 

Rare. 
FORAMINIFERA AND ORIGIN OF GARDINERS CLAY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 161 

Family GLOBIGERINIDAE 

Genus GLOBIGERINA d'Orbigny, 1826 

Globigerina bulloides d'Orbigny 

Plate 33, figure 5 

Globigerina bulloides d'Orbigny, 1826, Annales sci. nat., ser. 

Jlere, tome 7, p. 277, Paris; Modeles, nos. 17 and 76. 

Test small, umbilicate, early chambers in trochoid 

spire; chambers round, inflated, four in last whorl; 

wall cnlcareous hyaline, coarsely perforate; aperture 

large, round, opening into umbilicus. 

The Gardiners clay specimens of Globigerina bulloides 

are smaller than d'Orbigny's type specimen. 

Dian1eter 0.17 mm. 

Rare. 

Family BULIMINIDAE 

Genus BULIMINA d'Orbigny, 1826 

Bulimina exilis H. B. Brady 

Plate 33, figure 6 

Bulimina elegans d'Orbigny var. exilis H .. B. Brady, 1884, 

Challenger Rept, Zoology, v. 9, p. 399, pl. 50, figs. 5, 6. 

Bulimina exilis H. B. Brady. Cushman and Parker, 1940, 

Contr. Cushman Lab. Foram. Research, v. 16, pt. 1, 

p. 11-12, pl. 2., figs. 18a, b, 19-21. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 62, pl. 7, fig. 1. 

Test small in loose, elongate, spiral coil, greatest 

width near middle; chambers inflated, elongate, distinct; sutures distinct, depressed; wall calcareous 

hyaline:, perforate; aperture a high narrow arch extending from top of last chamber down into last septal 

face. 

Length as much as 0.31 mm. 

Rare. -

Genus BULIMINELLA Cushman, 1911 

Buliminella elegantissima ( d' Orbigny) 

Plate 33, figure 7 

Bulimina elegantissima d'Orbigny, 1839, Voyage dans I' Amerique 

mc~ridionale, tome 5, pt. 5, Foraminifl'I'es, p. 54, pl. 7, 

figs. 13, 14. 

BulimineUa elegantissima (d'Orbigny). Cushman, 1919, U. S. 

Nu.tl. Mus. Proc., v. 56, no. 2302, p. 606. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 27, pl. 3, figs. 43, 44. 

Test small, elongate, in a close spire; chambers 

commonly four to a whorl, compressed, distinct; sutures 

distinct, depressed; wall calcareous hyaline, perforate; 

aperture virguline, in depression between base of last 

septal face and preceding whorl. 

Length as much as 0.16 mm. 

Rare. 

Genus FISSURINA Reuss, 1850 

Fissurina laevigata Reuss 

Plate 33, figure 8 

Fissurina laevigata Reuss, 1850, K. Akad. Wiss., Vienna, Math.-

naturh. Denkschr., Band 1, p. 366, pl. 46, fig. 1. 

Lagena laevigata (Reuss), Terrigi, 1880, Accad. pont. nuovi Lincei 

Atti, v. 33, p. 177-178, pl. 1, fig. 6, Rome. 

Entosolenia laevigata (Reuss). Cushman and McGlamery, 1942, 

U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 197-B, p. 70, pl. 5, figs. 

19-21. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 28, pl. 4, fig. 12. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 63, pl. 7, fig. 4. 

Test small, unilocular, pyriform; wall calcareous 

hyaline, perforate, opaque except for lateral band of 

clear shell material; aperture fissurine, with short 

internal tube. 

Cushman's specimens reported in his Special Publication 23 on Arctic Foraminifera are identical in all 

respects except that they are as much as 1.0 mm long. 

Common. 

Fissurina marginata (Montagu) 

Plate 33, figure 9 

Vermiculum marginatum Montagu, 1803, Testacea Britannica, 

p. 524, pl. 1, fig. 7. 

Entosolenia marginata (Montagu). ·williamson, 1848, Annals 

and Mag. Nat. History, ser. 2, v. 1, p. 17, pl. 2, figs. 15, 

16. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 65, pl. 7, fig. 7. 

Test small, unilocular, subrounded; wall calcareous 

hyaline, perforate; aperture .fissurine, with a long, 

expanding internal tube. 

Length 0.18 mm. 

Only one specimen was found in the Gardiners clay 

material. 

Family MILIOLIDAE 

Genus QUINQUELOCULINA d'Orbigny, 1826 

Quinqueloculina seminulum (Linne) 

Plate 33, figure 11 

Serpula seminulum Linne, 1767, Systema Naturae, 12th ed., 

p. 1264. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum (Linne). d'Orbigny, 1826, Annales 

sci. nat.; ser. 1 ere, tome 7, p. 303, Paris. 

Quinqueloculina seminula (Linne). Cushman, 1944, Special 

Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. Research, p. 13, pl. 2, 

fig. 14. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 34-35, pl. 3, figs. 14, 15. 

Test small, typical quinqueloculine coil with chambers 

added successively in planes 144 ° apart but each 

chamber 72° from· its next adjacent one; chambers 

half a coil in length, distinct; sutures distinct, de-
162 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

pressed; wall calcareous porcellaneous, imperforate, 

thick; aperture large, at end of last chamber, rounded, 

simple, some with a simple tooth. 

Length as much as 0.40 mm, breadth as much as 

0.29 mm. 

Numerous in some sections of the Gardiners clay, 

rare or absent in others. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum jugosa Cushman 

Plate 33, figure 10 

Ouinqueloculina seminula (Linne) var. jugosa Cushman, 1944, 

Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. Research, p. 

13-14, pl. 2, fig. 15. 

This variety differs from the species in possessing . 

faint costae. 

Rare. 

Family POLYMORPHINIDAE 

Genus GLOBULINA d'Orbigny, 1839 

Globulina glacialis Cushman and Ozawa 

Plate 33, figure 12 

Glob1tlina glacialis Cushman and Ozawa, 1930, U. S. Natl. Mus. 

Proc., v. 77, no. 2829, art. 6, p. 71, pl. 15, figs. 6, 7. 

Cushman, 1948, Special Pub. 23, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research p. 50-51, pl. 5, figs. 15, 16. 

Test, small, pyriform, appearing somewhat quinqueloculine in side view and triserial in apertural view; 

chambers elongate, slightly inflated, distinct; sutures 

distinct, depressed; wall calcareous hyaline, perforate, 

thin; aperture terminal, round, and radiate. 

Length as much as 0.28 mm, breadth as much as 

0.16 mm. 

Rare. 

Genus PSEUDOPOLYMORPHINA Cushman and Ozawa, 1928 

Pseudopolymorphina novangliae (Cushman) 

Plate 33, figure 13 

Polyrnorphina lactea (Walker and Jacob) var. novangh:ae Cushman, 1928, U. S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 104, p. 146-147, pl. 39, 

figs. 6--8. 

Pseudopolyrnorphina novangliae (Cushman). Cushman and 

Ozawa, 1930, U. S. Natl. Mus. Proc., v. 77, no. 2829, 

art. 6, p. 9o--91, pl. 23, figs. 1, 2. 

Cushman, 1944, Special Pub. 12, Cushman Lab. Foram. 

Research, p. 23, pl. 3, figs. 12-14. 

Test elongate, compressed, tapering at both ends; 

chan1ber slightly if at all inflated, longer than broad, 

embracing, early chambers nearly quinqueloculine, 

later becoming more or less biserial; sutures very 

slightly depressed, indistinct; wall calcareous hyaline, 

finely perforate, smooth; aperture terminal, round, and 

·radiate. 

This is the largest species of Foraminifera in the 

Gardiners clay assemblage. · 

Length as much as 1.48 mm, breadth as much as 

0.65 mm. 

Rare. 

LITERATURE CITED 

Brady, H. B., 1884., Report on the scientific results of the voyage 

of H. M. S. Challenger during the years 1873-76, Zoology, 

v. 9. 

Cushman, J. A., 1944, Foraminifera from the shallow water of 

the New England coast: Cushman Lab. Foram. Research 

Special Pub. 12, 37 p. 

deLaguna, Wallace, and Perlmutter, N. M., 1949, Basic geologic 

data, in Mapping of geologic formations and aquifers of 

Long Island, N. Y.: N. Y. Dept. Conserv. Water Power 

and Control Comm. Bull. GW-18, pt. 1, p. 3-138. 

Fuller, M. L., 1914, The geology of Long Island, N. Y.: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 82. 

Glaessner, M. F., 1947, Principles of micropaleontology: New 

York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Parker, F. L., 1948, Foraminifera of the continental shelf from 

the Gulf of Maine to Maryland: Harvard Coll., Mus. Comp. 

Zoology Bull. v. 100, no. 2, p. 214-241. 

Shupack, Benjamin, 1934, Some Foraminifera from western 

Long Island and New York Harbor: Am. Mus. Novitates 

737. 

Sidebottom, Henry, 1909, Report on the Recent Foraminifera 

from the coast of the Island of Delos (Grecian Archipelago), 

part 6 (Conclusion): Manchester Lit. Philos. Soc. Mem. 

and Proc., v. 53, no. 21, 32 p. 

Voorthuysen, J. H. van, 1949, Foraminifera of the Icenian (oldest marine Pleistocene) of the Netherlands: Nederlandsch 

Geol.-Mijnb. Genoot., Verh. Geol. ser., Deel 15, stuk 1, p. 

63-69. 

Whipple, G. C., 1912, Effect of diversion of Suffolk County 

ground water upon oyster industry in the Great South Bay: 

Long Island sources-an additional supply of water for the 

city of New York: Board of Water Supply of the city 

of New York, v. 2, app. 12, p. 474-490. 
• 

INDEX 

·[Italic numbers indicate descriptions] 

Page 

Acknowledgments--------_-------------______________________________________ 145 

albiumbilicatum, Nonion pauciloculum_ --------------- 149,153,154,155,156,157, pl. 32 

Auliscu:r _____ ___________________________________ ------------------ __________ 156, 157 

beccarii tepida, Rotalia _____________________________________ 149, 154, 155, 156,160, pl. 33 

Brookhaven National Laboratory, description of samples from wells in 

vicinity ________________________________________________________ 149-154 

Bulimina exilis __ ------------------------------ ___________________ 149, 152, 161, pl. 33 

Buliminella elegantissima _____________________________________________ 149, 161, pl. 33 

bulloides, Globigerina ______________________________________________ 149,156,161, pl. 33 

calidus, Eponides frigid us_ .. ___________________________ 152, 153, 154, 156, 157,160, pl. 33 

Campylodiscus __ ____________________________________________________________ 156, 157 

chapapotense, Non ion ______________________ ----------------___________________ 159 

clavatum, Elphidium ______________________ 143,149,152,154,156,157,158,159,160, pl. 32 

Conclusions. ________________________________ ---------________________________ 157 

corrugata, Patellina __ ---------------------------- _____________________ 154, 160, pl. 33 

Coscinod:iscus_ ------------------------------ ________________________________ 156, 157 

Cushman, J. A., quoted______________________________________________________ 158 

Diatoms ____________________________________________ 143,149, 150, 152, 154, 155, 156, 157 

Discorbil:____ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ ___ _ __ ____ ____ _ ___ ___ _ _ __ ___ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ ___ __ _ 156 

globularis _______ -------------------------- ________ _ _____________ 154,160, pl. 33 

elegantis1:ima, Buliminella ___ __________________________________________ 149, 161, pl. 33 

ellisi, Elphidium ______________________________________ 149, 152, 153, 154, 158,159, pl. 32 

Elphidiv..m ____ __________________________________________________________ 156,158, 159 

clavatum ______________________________ 143, 149, 152, 154, 156, 157, 158,159,160, pl. 32 

ellisi__ _______ ______________ ----------------------- 149, 152, 153,154,158,159, pl. 32 

jlorentinae __ ------------------------------ 143, 149,152,154, 156, 157, 158,159, pl. 32 

incertum __ ____ -------------------------------- 149, 152,153, 154, 158, 159, 160, pl. 32 

Eponide~' frigid us __ ----------------------------------------------_____________ 156 

calid·us ___ _________________________________________ 152, 153, 154, 156, 157, 160, pl. 33 

uilis, Bt!limina __ _________________________________________________ 149, 152, 161, pl. 33 

Fissurinoz _______________________________ -~- _ ______ _ ___ _ _ _ _ ____ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ ___ _ _ __ 156 

laevi11ata .. _____________________________________________________ 149, 154, 161, pl. 33 

marginata _____ ____________________ --------------------------------- ___ 161, pl. 33 

jlorentinae, Elphidium ________________________ 143, 149, 152,154,156, 157, 158,159, pl. 32 

frigidus, .Eponides _ __ ___ _ __ _ ___ _ __ _ _ ____ __ _ _ __ _ ___ ___ __ _ _ _ _ ___ __ ____ ____ _ _ _ __ _ _ 156 

calid~'1i8, Eponides _ --------------------- ___________ 152,153, 154, 156, 157,160, pl. 33 Fuller, M. L., cited ________________________________________________________ 146,148 

Gardiners clay__________________________________________________ 143, 145-148, 156-157 

evidence of environmental changes during deposition_------------------ 154-157 

samples and cores __ ---------------------- ______________________________ 149-1,54 

Gastropods___________________________________________________________________ 155 

Glacial outwash, samples and cores _________________________________________ 1*9-153 

glacialis, Globulina .. _______________________________________________ 153, 157, 162, pl. 33 

Globigerina bulloides ______ _______________________________________ - _ 149, 156.161, pl. 33 

globulari~·, Discorbis ___________________________________________________ 154, 160, pl. 33 

Globulina glacialis---------------------------------- _______________ 153, 157,162, pl. 33 

Great South Bay, chloride content-_----------------------------------------- 156 

Hempstead gravel member, Manhasset formation_--------------------------- 146 

Herod gravel member, Manhasset formation__________________________________ 146 

incertum, Elphidium ______________________________ 149,152,153,154,158,159,160, pl. 32 

Jacob sartd _________ ------------------ _____________________ ------ ___________ 146, 148 

Jameco graveL_--------------------------------------------------- _________ 145-146 

Page 

jugosa, Quinqueloculina seminulum ____________________ ---------------- 149, 162, pl. 33 

labra,doricum, Non ion ____ --------------------------------------------- 149, 158, pl. 32 

laevigata, Fissurina ___ -------------------------------------------- 149,154,161, pl. 33 

Lauman, C. W., & Co., Inc., wells driven____________________________________ 148 

Layne-New York Co., Inc., wells driven __ ----------------------------------- 148 

Long Island Sound, chloride content from locations___________________________ 156 

Magothy(?) formation .. ___________________________________________ ------ 143, 145, 148 

samples and cores _______ ------------------------------------------------ 149-154 

major, Pinnularia _________ ___________________ ------------------------------- 156,157 

Manhasset formation _____________ ------------------------------------------ 146,148 

Hempstead gravel member_______________________________________________ 146 

Herod gravel member _____________________________________ --------------- 146 

Montauk till member ___________________ ------- _________ ----------------- 146 

Mannetto gravel .. ___________________________________________ --- _____ --------- 145 

marginata, Fissurina __ ________________________ -_- _____________ ---·--------- 161, pl. 33 

Mollusks _________________________ -------------------------------··----- 143.149,154 

Montauk till member, Manhasset formation__________________________________ 146 

Nonion __ ____________________________________________ -___________ ··------------ 156 

chapapotense~--- ________________________________ --- _________ -··------------ 159 

labradoricum __ ____________________________________________________ 149,158, pl.32 

pauciloculum albiumbilicatum _____________________ 149,153,154,155, 156,157, pl. 32 

Nonionella SP----------------- ___ --------------------- __________ : ______ 154,158, pl. 32 

nova.ngliae, Pseudopolymorphina ____ ___________________________ ----- 153, 154, 162, pl. 33 

Ostracodes .. __________________________________________________ ---.---------- 143, 149 

Patchogue Bay area, chloride content _____________________________ ------------ 156 

Patchogue Creek, chloride content ___________ ------------------------.--------- 156 

Patel! ina corrugata _____________________________________________________ 154,160, pl. 33 

pauciloculum albiumbilicatum, Non ion .. --------------- 149,153,154,155,156,157, pl. 32 Pelecypods _______________________________________________________ ---------- 154, 155 

Pinnularia major ________________ --------- ___________________ --------------- 156, 157 

Plant megaspores _____________ ---------------------------------------------- 149,151 

Pleurosigma ___________________________________ ------------ ___ ---------------- 156 

Pseudopolymorphina novangliae_ ---------------------------------- 153,154,162, pl. 33 

Purpose of study ______________ ----------------------------------------------- 143 

Quinqueloculina .. ____________________________ ---- ___ -___ --- __ ----------------- 156 

seminulum .. ______________________________________ 149, 153, 1M, 155,157,161, pl. 33 

jugosa~ _______________________________________________________ 149,162, pl. 33 

Riverhead Water District, samples from wells________________________________ 146 

Rotalia .. ____________________________ ------------------------------------------ 156 

f beccarii tepida ____________ ___ -------------------------- 149, 154, 155, 156,160, pl. 33 

seminulum, Qyinquelowlina __________________________ 149, 153, 154,155,157,161, pl. 33 

jugosa, Quinqueloculina _____________ -------------- __ -------------- 149,162, pl. 33 

tepida, Rotalia beccariL----------------------------------- 149,154,155,156,160, pl. 33 

Tricerathtm ___ ____________________________________ - _______ - __ --------------- 156, 157 

,Wells, cable-tool test, bailer and core samples-------------·-------------------- 148 

description of samples, vicinity of Brookhaven National Laboratory--- 149-154 

privately drilled, bailer samples-------~---------------------------------- 149 

rotary-drill test, core samples_____________________________________________ 148 

Wells, F. G., bailer samples examined---------------------------------------- 153 

Wisconsin drift ___ -----------_------------------------------------------------ 146 

163 

PLATES 32, 33 
PLATE 32 

FIGURES 1, 2. Nonion pauciloculum albiumbilicatum \Veiss, n. subsp. (p. 157). 

la, b, side and peripheral views, X 100, of holotype, USNM 548852; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

2. Paratype, X 40, USNM 548853; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

3. Non ion cf. N. labradoricum (Dawson) (p. 158). 

Side and apertural views, X 100, USNM 548854; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

4. Nonionella sp. (p. 158). 

X 100, USNM 548871; well S5140T, 118-120 feet. 

5, 6. Elphidium(?) ellisi Weiss n. sp. (p. 159). 

5a, b, side and apertural views, X 100, of holotype; USNM 548855; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

6. Paratype, X 100, USNM 548856; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

7. Elphidium incertum (Williamson) (p. 159). 

Side and apertural views, X 100, USNM 548857; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

8-11. Elphidium jlorentinae Shupack (p. 159). 

8. Adult, X 80, USNM 548858. 

9, 10. Young forms, X 80, USNM 548859. 

11. Umbilical region of adult showing bosses and pores by transmitted light, X 165. 

All specimens from well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

12-14. Elphidium clavatum Cushman (p. 160). 

12, 13. Young forms, X 80, USNM 548862. 

14. Adult, X 80, USNM 548861. 

All specimens from well S6409, 190-205 feet. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY P l!OFESSIONAL PAPER 254 PLATE 32 

NONIONIDAE 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

ROTALITDAE, GLOBIGERlNWAE, BULIMINIDAE, 

MILIOLIDAE, A~D POLYMORPHINIDAE 

PROFESSIO:-IAL PAPER 254 PLATE 33 
FIGURE 1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

PLATE 33 

Rotalia beccarii tepida Cushman (p. 160). 

Dorsal, ventral, and apertural views, X 100, USNM 548863; well .S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

Eponides frigidus calidus Cushman and Cole (p. 160). 

Dorsal and ventral views, X 100, USNM 548870; well 86460, 179-184 feet. 

Discorbis globularis (d'Orbigny) (p. 160). 

Dorsal and ventral views, X 100; USNM 548872; well S5140T, 118-120 feet. 

Patellina · corrugata Williamson (p. 160). 

X 100, USNM 548873; well S5140T, 126-133 feet. 

Globigerina bulloide~ d'Orbigny (p. 161). 

Dorsal and ventral viewA, X 100; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

Bulimina exilis H. B. Brady (p. 161). 

X 100, USNM 548867; well 86409, 190-205 feet. 

Buliminella elegantissima (d'Orbigny) (p. 161). 

Side views, X 100 and X 290 USNM 548866; well S6409, 190-205 feet. 

Fissurina laevigata Reuss (p. 161). 

a, side view by transmitted light, X 240; b, edge view showing fissurine aperture, X 100, USNM 548865; well S6409, 

19Q-205 feet. 

Fissurina marginata (Montagu) (p. 161). 

Side view by transmitted light, X 240. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum jugosa Cushman (p. 162). 

a, b, opposite sides; c, apertural view. All views X 100. USNM 548868; well 86409, 19Q-205 feet. 

Quinqueloculina seminulum (Linne) (p. 161). 

a, b, opposite sides; c, apertural view. All views X 100. USNM 548869; well S6409, 19Q-205 feet. 

Globulina glacialis Cushman and Ozawa (p. 162). 

Side and apertural views, X 100, USNM 548874; well S151, 116-137 feet. 

Pseudopolymorphina novangliae (Cushman) (p. 162). 

Opposite sides, X 40, USNM 548875; well S151, 116-137 feet. 

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