The Nature and Evolution of Absorption-Selected Galaxies

We present results of surveys for high redshift galaxies selected by their having produced detectable Mg~II and Lyman limit absorption in the spectra of background QSOs. We discuss the properties of the absorbing galaxies, the connection between galaxy properties and absorption line signatures, and how a combination of QSO absorption line and conventional faint galaxy techniques can be used to study field galaxy evolution to very large redshifts.