for continuum variability in XTE J1118+480, both during the same night and from night to night. The lack of obvious variability is consistent with the long-term variations in the optical VSNET lightcurve ($<$ 0.5 mag), the short timescale ($<$10 s) of the large amplitude ($>$0.3 mag) flickering and the low amplitude (0.052 mag) of the 4 hr modulation (Patterson 2000).

Line Profiles and their Evolution during Outburst
-------------------------------------------------

We identify three Balmer lines, three He lines and the Bowen blend in our set of spectra. These are: H$\gamma~\lambda 4340.5$, He[i]{} $\lambda 4471.5$, the Bowen blend at $\sim~\lambda4638$, He[ii]{} $\lambda 4686.7$, H$\beta~\lambda 4861.3$, He[i]{} $\lambda
4921.9$, H$\alpha~\lambda 6562.8$ and He[i]{} $\lambda 6678.1$ The lines are weak, broad and double-peaked. H$\beta$, H$\gamma$ and also the weaker He[i]{} $\lambda$4471.5 have double-peaked emission clearly embedded in a large absorption trough. There is no clear evidence of such absorption around H$\alpha$.

Fig. \[fig:echha\] shows the H$\alpha$ and He[ii]{} line profiles in the summed Echelle spectrum with the low resolution spectrum taken on the same night overplotted. We find no evidence for structures at high spectral resolution in the lines, except for an excess at rest wavelength which would not be expected in a pure double-peaked 