  We analyze spectra of 44 emission line stars detected in a low resolution
optical spectroscopic survey of the galactic open cluster NGC 6871. The survey
of 1217 stars is complete to V = 14.9 and includes stars with V < 16.5 between
the zero age main sequence (ZAMS) and the 10^7 yr pre-main sequence (PMS)
isochrone. Of the 44 emission line stars in this survey, 28 show obvious
emission in H alpha and 16 have weak H alpha absorption (compared to H gamma).
We use the reddening to separate foreground and background stars from the
cluster members; the position in the HR diagram (HRD) or the presence of
forbidden emission lines ([NII], [SII]) then yields the evolutionary status of
the emission line stars. A comparison of the H alpha spectral index
distribution in NGC 6871 with the distribution of young stars in the
Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud indicates that the late type PMS stars in our
sample may be weak line T Tauri stars (wTTs). Many of these stars show [SII]
(36%) and [NII] (45%) emission.
