The x‐ray spectra of accreting black holes in x‐ray binaries show anultrasoft/ultrahardspectral combination that is distinct amongst the galactic population of x‐ray binaries. This spectral signature is used to identify new black hole candidates, BHC. A total of 23 BHC are listed (including six that have been well established from optical radial velocity measurements). In 20 BHC systems the binary companion star is late type, and of these 15 are transient systems. Only 3 BHC are associated with early type companions. The galactic distribution of these black hole candidates, BHC, is compared with that of the entire population of low mass and high mass x‐ray binaries. The transient BHC are not strongly clustered at the galactic center, nor have any been found in a globular cluster. This suggests the transient BHC systems are population I. ©1994 American Institute of Physics.