of FeLoBALs. (2003) also created a nonBAL sample and composite spectrum of 892 objects with similar redshift and absolute $i^*$ magnitudes to the total BALQSO sample. The composite spectra (including the EDR composite spectrum), normalized to unity at a rest wavelength of 2500 Å, are reproduced in Figure \[fig:fig1\]; the size and properties (see below) of the samples are given in Table 1. The signal-to-noise ratio is significantly lower in the LoBAL and FeLoBAL composite spectra than in the other composites because of the small sample sizes.

A composite spectrum created from a sample of reddened power-law spectra will possess a mean spectral index and a mean reddening. For geometric mean composites, the composite spectral index and reddening are the arithmetic mean spectral index and arithmetic mean reddening of the individual spectra, as we show in the Appendix. Each of our composite spectra are formed by the geometric mean approach. Thus comparisons of spectral indices and reddening in different composite spectra are equivalent to comparisons of the general subsamples that comprise the composites.

Continuum Fitting with a Composite Spectrum \[sec:fitting\]
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In our investigation of the continuum differences between quasar types, we will rely upon the composite-fitting algorithm described by 