  In a pilot search for high-redshift radio QSOs, we have obtained spectra of
55 FIRST sources (S(1.4GHz) > 1 mJy) with very red (O-E > 3) starlike optical
identifications. 10 of the candidates are QSOs with redshifts 3.6 < z < 4.4 (4
previously known), six with z > 4. The remaining 45 candidates comprise: a z =
2.6 BAL QSO; 3 low-redshift galaxies with narrow emission lines; 18 probable
radio galaxies; and 23 M stars (mainly misidentifications). The success rate
(high-redshift QSOs / spectroscopically-observed candidates) for this search is
1/2 for S(1.4GHz) > 10 mJy, and 1/9 for S(1.4GHz) > 1 mJy. With an effective
search area of 4030 deg^2, the surface density of high-redshift (z > 4) QSOs
discovered with this technique is 0.0015 deg^-2.
