Spectra have been obtained of a sample of horizontal branch stars in the globular cluster M71. These display clear variations in the strengths of the 3883-A and 4215-A CN bands, with the former of these features showing a bimodal distribution. A clear anticorrelation exists between the strength of the 3883-A CN band and the CH absorption in the region of the 4300-A G band, indicating that part of the surface material of the CN-strong stars has been processed through the CN cycle of hydrogen burning. The percentage of CN-strong stars found on the horizontal branch is consistent with that observed by Smith and Norris (1982) on the giant branch of M71. Hence, there is no evidence from the available data that the percentage of these stars increases during the transition between the red giant and horizontal branch stages of evolution.
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Smith et al. (1989) studied this question.