Sorry - I got cut off somehow before I was done and posted only part of my
reply.  There's a ghost in the machine! Here it is complete (with proper
editing!):

Hey Ellen,
   well I have a few suggestions for you.  The best place I know of to
collect in Rhode Island is Easton/Atlantic Beach in Newport.  Sometimes
this is just referred to as Newport Beach (and I've seen one map call it
1st Beach).  At any rate, for number of species it is unmatched (and in
fact rates as one of the best in New England period).  My friend Brain
Cassie and I have compiled a list of almost 100 species from this one
beach.  Now the bad news is most are smaller species.  Bring home some
drift to dry and carefully sort through and you will be amazed.  For the
"find on the beach with the naked eye" side, the beach still has some fun
(and rare in New England) stuff.  For instance: Greenish Jackknife Clams,
Cross-hatched Lucines, Dekay's Dwarf Tellins as well as brilliant pink
Northern Dwarf Tellins, and standard New England fair such as Atlantic
Razor Clams, Shark Eye and Northern Moon Shells, Waved, Channeled and
Knobbed whelks.  And the beauty is that I've done just as great collecting
in the summer as in the colder months.  That is without a doubt the only
New England Beach I've ever said that about.
     Along the rocky south shore of Block Island sound, I've done fairly
well at low tides under rocks.  You can find Atlantic Dogwinkles and
Atlantic Oyster Drills (though, I've found more colorful examples of both
elsewhere).  On these beaches one can often find Spotted Northern Moon
Shells as well as their more common cousins.  If you want to try your luck
at exploring lobster traps, I've occasionally found good stuff in the many
traps on the piers in Galilee (near the ferry to Block Island).  I've
found nice Cup and Saucer Limpets attached to Horse Mussels as well as the
best Conrad's Thracia I've ever found (don't know how the latter got into
lobster traps, but I wasn't complaining!).  Also found nice False Quahogs
(another head scratcher).  Well, hope this helps a bit.  Have fun!

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