Optical studies of two Large Magellanic Cloud X-ray transients RX J0544.1-7100 and RX J0520.5-6932

We report observations that confirm the identities of the optical counterparts to the transient sources RX J0544.1-7100 and RX J0520.5-6932. The counterparts are suggested to be B-type stars. Optical data from the observations carried out at ESO and SAAO, together with results from the OGLE data base, are presented. In addition, X-ray data from the RXTE All-Sky Monitor are investigated for long-term periodicities. A strong suggestion for a binary period of 24.4d is seen in RX J0520.5-6932 from the OGLE data.