MODERATE RESOLUTION SPECTROPHOTOMETRY OF HIGH REDSHIFT QUASARS

We present a uniform set of photometry and high signal-to-noise moderate resolution spectroscopy of 33 quasars with redshifts larger than 3.1. The sample consists of 17 newly discovered quasars (two with redshifts in excess of 4.4) and 16 sources drawn from the literature. The objects in this sample have r magnitudes between 17.4 and 21.4; their luminosities range from - 28.8 less-than-or-equal-to M(B) less-than-or-equal-to - 24.9 (H0 = 50, q0 = 0.5). Three of the 33 objects are broad absorption line quasars. A number of possible high redshift damped Ly alpha systems were found.