1 Introduction

V 589Sgr was noted as an irregular variable with the comment ``RCB type ?'' in a study of Milky Way area 187 by Swope (1936). This author gives a magnitude range of 14.2 mag to fainter than 16.5 mag ( $m_{\rm pg} = 17.6$mag according to Milone (1990) and Simbad), but no light curve is shown in her paper. The probable RCB classification was recently rejected by Kilkenny (1997) after the analysis of a spectrum showing Balmer lines of hydrogen in emission with a steep Balmer decrement. Instead, he proposed a classification as symbiotic-like, since the spectrum, spanning the wavelength range of 3400-5200 Å, shows marginal TiO bands but not the He I and He II emissions which are typical of symbiotic stars.

Another point noted by Kilkenny (1997) is the slightly different position of the object which he identified as the variable V589Sgr with respect to the GCVS's position. We add here that we measured the coordinates of V589Sgr as $\alpha_{2000}$ = 18$^{\rm h}$05$^{\rm m}$17 $.\!\!^{\rm s}$1, $\delta_{2000}$ = -34$^\circ$44$^\prime$47 $^{\prime\prime}$, thus improving those given in Milone (1990) and Simbad.