Abstract: Using Hyades photometry published by Mendoza and other authors, Pinsonneault et al. have recently concluded that Cousins V - I photometry published by Taylor & Joner is not on the Cousins system. Extensive tests of the Taylor- Joner photometry and other pertinent results are therefore performed in this paper. It is found that in part, the Pinsonneault et al. conclusion rests on ( 1) a systematic error in Mendoza's ( R - I)(J) photometry and ( 2) a small error in an approximate Johnson- to- Cousins transformation published by Bessell. For the Taylor- Joner values of ( V - R)(C), it is found that there are possible ( though not definite) differences of several mmag with other results. However, the Taylor- Joner values of ( R - I)(C) data are supported at the 1 mmag level. Using the ( R - I)(C) data and other published results, an ( R - I)(C) catalog is assembled for 146 Hyades stars with spectral types earlier than about K5. For single stars with multiple contributing data, the rms errors of the catalog entries are less than 4.4 mmag. Temperatures on the Di Benedetto angular- diameter scale are also given in the catalog and are used to help update published analyses of high- dispersion values of [ Fe/ H] for the Hyades. The best current mean Hyades value of [ Fe/ H] is found to be + 0.103 +/- 0.008 dex and is essentially unchanged from its previous value. In addition to these numerical results, recommendations are made about improving attitudes and practices that are pertinent to issues like those raised by Pinsonneault et al.

Abstract: For dwarfs near the Sun, published metallicity distributions commonly have peak metallicities that are a few tenths of a dex below the solar value. However, Haywood has recently used data from photometric calibrations to obtain a peak metallicity of about -0.05 dex. Haywood argues that uncorrected sampling biases explain the difference between his result and previous results. To check Haywood's peak metallicity, a statistical analysis is applied to Haywood's sample and also to a set of averaged high-dispersion metallicities for nearby dwarfs. In addition, a magnitude-limited sample of evolved stars is considered. Care is taken to make sure that all the data in these samples have a common zero-point which there is good reason to regard as reliable. In addition, sampling biases are duly considered, and full allowance is made for the contribution of the thick-disc population. Only statistical analysis is used; no conclusions are drawn by inspecting data or histograms without the aid of statistical analysis. The analysis yields a best-fitting Gaussian for dwarfs whose peak metallicity is fully consistent with Haywood's results. The 2 width of that Gaussian is 0.37 dex, and its peak falls at a metallicity of -0.041 +/- 0.013 dex. Although that peak differs detectably from zero, the difference is not appreciable when compared with a number of previous results. For evolved stars, a problem appears: their mean metallicity turns out to be significantly lower than that for dwarfs (by 0.054 +/- 0.016 dex). In addition, the metallicity distribution for evolved stars is found to be narrower than its counterpart for dwarfs. It is suggested that these discrepancies can be traced to the present lack of knowledge about giants with [Fe/H] > +0.2 dex. This suggestion is supported (although not proven) by analysing an augmented test sample which includes data for a number of high-metallicity dwarfs. It is suggested that this problem should be examined further when more has been learned about the numbers of high-metallicity giants in the solar neighbourhood.

Abstract: This paper is one of a pair in which temperatures and metallicity catalogs for class IV-V stars are considered. The temperature catalog described here is derived from a calibration based on stellar angular diameters. If published calibrations of this kind are compared by using color-index transformations, temperature-dependent differences among the calibrations are commonly found. However, such differences are minimized if attention is restricted to calibrations based on Johnson V - K. A calibration of this sort from Di Benedetto (1998) is therefore tested and adopted. That calibration is then applied to spectroscopic and photometric data, with the latter predominating. Cousins R - I photometry receives special attention because of its high precision and low metallicity sensitivity. Testing of temperatures derived from the calibration suggests that their accuracy and precision are satisfactory, though further testing will be warranted as new results appear. These temperatures appear in the catalog as values of theta = 5040/T(effective). Most of these entries are accompanied by measured or derived values of Cousins R - I. Entries are given for 951 stars.

Abstract: This paper describes the derivation of an updated statistical catalog of metallicities. The stars for which those metallicities apply are of spectral types F, G, and K, and are on or near the main sequence. The input data for the catalog are values of [Fe/H] published before 2002 February and derived from lines of weak and moderate strength. The analyses used to derive the data have been based on one-dimensional LTE model atmospheres. Initial adjustments which are applied to the data include corrections to a uniform temperature scale which is given in a companion paper (see Taylor 2003). After correction, the data are subjected to a statistical analysis. For each of 941 stars considered, the results of that analysis include a mean value of [Fe/H], an rms error, an associated number of degrees of freedom, and one or more identification numbers for source papers. The catalog of these results supersedes an earlier version given by Taylor (1994b).

Abstract: High-dispersion and low-resolution data are combined to search for super-metal-rich (SMR) FGK stars in the solar neighbourhood and Baade's Window. The data are assessed by using statistical analysis, with their rms errors playing a key role. A star is considered to be SMR if its value of [Fe/H] > +0.2 dex, while 'borderline' SMR status may be assigned if +0.1 < [Fe/H] &LE; +0.2 dex. Borderline SMR status is assigned to μ Leo and three other giants, but no full-fledged SMR giants are found in either Baade's Window or the solar neighbourhood. By contrast, the existence of SMR class IV-V stars turns out to be well established, with values found for [Fe/H] that are as large as &SIM; +0.4 dex. It is concluded that this apparent contrast between class IV-V stars and giants should not be interpreted in astrophysical terms at present because of marked shortcomings in the available data base for giants. Recommendations are made about future research that may cure this problem and extend present knowledge about SMR dwarfs.

Abstract: For the often-studied "SMR" giant mu Leo, Smith & Ruck (2000) have recently found that [Fe/H] similar to +0.3 dex. Their conclusion is tested here in a "statistical" paradigm, in which statistical principles are used to select published high-dispersion mu Leo data and assign error bars to them. When data from Smith & Ruck and from Takeda et al. (1998) are added to a data base compiled in 1999, it is found that conclusions from an earlier analysis (Taylor 1999c) are essentially unchanged: the mean value of [Fe/H] similar to +0.23 +/- 0.025 dex, and values less than or equal to +0:2 dex are not clearly ruled out at 95% confidence. In addition, the hypothesis that [Fe/H] greater than or equal to +0.3 dex which emerges from the Smith-Ruck analysis is formally rejected at 98% confidence. The "default paradigm" which is commonly used to assess mu Leo data is also considered. The basic characteristics of that paradigm continue to be a) unexplained exclusion of statistical analysis, b) inadequately explained deletions from an [Fe/H] data base containing accordant data, and c) an undefended convention that mu Leo is to have a metallicity of about +0.3 dex or higher. As a result, it seems fair to describe the Smith-Ruck application and other applications of the default paradigm as invalid methods of inference from the data.