The low excitation spectrum of the peculiar star with infrared excess RX Puppis in 1972 and 1975.

Summary. Near infrared photometry of RX Puppis performed in 1972 revealed a prominent excess of radiation probably originating in a circumstellar dust shell surrounding this peculiar object. 1972 and 1975 spectrograms of RX Puppis show essentially emission lines of H (with P Cygni structure variable from night to night), O i, [0 1], Ca ii, [Ca ii], Fe ii and [Fe ii]. The high excitation lines typical of a true symbiotic star that were reported by P. Swings and Struve in 1941 are now either absent or extremely weak, except for [Fe x] which was possibly present in 1972. It is suggested that RX Pup may be a nova-like or peculiar emission lineobject exhibiting similarities to ?1 Carinae. Key words: emission lines - RX Puppis - HD 69910 IR excess