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From a study of spectroscopic and plate material for the peculiar galaxy NGC 1275, the following observations are made. The main galaxy (V = 5200 km/s) has a smooth luminosity profile and is of type E or S0. Immediately south of the nucleus, this galaxy exhibits an early-type spectrum; immediately north of the nucleus, the stellar population is obscured. Further north of the nucleus, the stellar continuum (V = 5200 km/s) is of later type. In regions where optical obscuration is seen photographically, spectra show that the underlying continuum from the low-velocity galaxy is generally obscured, and strong emission from the high velocity is seen instead. There is generally a correlation in position between the obscuring knots and the high-velocity emission. The Balmer decrement is significantly steeper in the low-velocity emission lines than in the high-velocity system. No absorption lines or continuum are found in association with the high-velocity knots. There is a smooth variation of velocity across the high-velocity region, which is consistent with a picture of a rotating galaxy seen almost edge-on, with a maximum velocity of 150(sin i) km/s. It is believed that the most straightforward interpretation of these observations is that an intervening late-type galaxy, V = 8200 km/s, is seen along the line of sight to the main galaxy, V = 5200 km/s.