The results of a large R-band imaging survey of 71 bright (m(V) < 18)
quasars are presented. The quasars were chosen from published samples
which have intermediate resolution optical spectroscopy available, so
the presence of low redshift Mg II absorption lines can be determined.
We have searched our data for galaxies close to the line-of-sight to
the quasars, which we might be able to identify with the absorption sy
stems. We find a high coincidence between galaxies very near the line-
of-sight and quasars showing absorption systems in their spectra, a re
sult consistent with other studies. These galaxies have a mean luminos
ity of 0.5L (assuming they lie at the absorption redshift). The distr
ibution of impact parameters between the galaxies and the quasars exte
nds with a flat distribution to large radii ( > 30h-1 kpc). This sugge
sts that the absorption systems may not be gravitationally bound to th
e observed galaxies, but may be part of larger extended systems. We al
so find a significant number of galaxies near the line-of-sight to the
quasar where no absorption is seen in the quasar spectrum. The select
ion of our quasars is unbiased with respect to galaxies near the line-
of-sight, so we can compare the observed number of absorption systems
to that predicted by a simple model with a constant covering factor in
Mg II absorbing gas within a maximum radius of each detected galaxy.
The model is consistent with a covering factor of unity, but allowing
for incompleteness in the detection of galaxies, the covering factor i
s less than unity. The redshifts of the galaxies are required to confi
rm this result.