diff --git a/eo/src/eo b/eo/src/eo
index 98bc61ab..54c4caf1 100644
--- a/eo/src/eo
+++ b/eo/src/eo
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@
 #include <eoInit.h>
 
 #include <eoOp.h>
+#include <eoGenOp.h>
+#include <eoOpContainer.h>
 
 #include <eoPop.h>
 
@@ -91,11 +93,13 @@
 #include <eoSelectPerc.h>
 #include <eoSelectNumber.h>
 #include <eoSelectMany.h>
-// other batch selections 
-// DetSelect probably shoudl be turned into an eoSelectOne 
+// other batch selections
+// DetSelect probably shoudl be turned into an eoSelectOne
 // (using setup and an index)
 #include <eoDetSelect.h>
 
+// Breeders
+#include <eoGeneralBreeder.h>
 
 // Replacement
 // #include <eoReplacement.h>
@@ -118,6 +122,7 @@
 #include <utils/checkpointing>
 
 // aliens
+#include <other/external_eo>
 #include <eoCounter.h>
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/eo/src/eoBreed.h b/eo/src/eoBreed.h
index 53498344..8eca4b11 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoBreed.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoBreed.h
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 /** -*- mode: c++; c-indent-level: 4; c++-member-init-indent: 8; comment-column: 35; -*-
 
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-   eoBreed.h 
+   eoBreed.h
    (c) Maarten Keijzer, GeNeura Team, 2000
- 
+
    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
    License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #include <eoPop.h>
 #include <eoFunctor.h>
+#include <eoSelect.h>
+#include <eoTransform.h>
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-/** 
+/**
 eoBreed: breeding is thought of a combination of selecting and transforming
 a population. For efficiency reasons you might want to build your own
 eoBreed derived class rather than relying on a seperate select and transform
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ class eoBreed : public eoBF<const eoPop<EOT>&, eoPop<EOT>&, void>
 {};
 
 /**
-eoSelectTransform: special breeder that is just an application of an embedded select, 
+eoSelectTransform: special breeder that is just an application of an embedded select,
 followed by an embedded transform
 */
 template <class EOT>
diff --git a/eo/src/eoGenOp.h b/eo/src/eoGenOp.h
index b24dad7d..3f46137c 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoGenOp.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoGenOp.h
@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@ class eoGenOp : public eoOp<EOT>, public eoUF<eoPopulator<EOT> &, void>
   /// Ctor that honors its superclass
   eoGenOp(): eoOp<EOT>( eoOp<EOT>::general ) {}
 
+  /** Max production is used to reserve space for all elements that are used by the operator,
+      not setting it properly can result in a crash
+  */
   virtual unsigned max_production(void) = 0;
+
   virtual string className() = 0;
     void operator()(eoPopulator<EOT>& _pop)
     {
@@ -103,18 +107,18 @@ class eoBinGenOp : public eoGenOp<EOT>
    public:
     eoBinGenOp(eoBinOp<EOT>& _op) : op(_op) {}
 
-    unsigned max_production(void) { return 1; }
+    unsigned max_production(void) { return 2; } //2 as it will request two individuals
 
   /** do the work: get 2 individuals from the population, modifies
-      only one (it's a eoBinOp) and erases the non-midified one
+      only one (it's a eoBinOp) 
       */
     void apply(eoPopulator<EOT>& _pop)
     {
       EOT& a = *_pop;
-      EOT& b = *++_pop;
+      const EOT& b = _pop.select();
+
       if (op(a, b))
         a.invalidate();
-      _pop.erase();  // erase the b from the next population
     }
   string className() {return op.className();}
 
@@ -206,6 +210,9 @@ class eoQuadGenOp : public eoGenOp<EOT>
         case eoOp<EOT>::quadratic : return _store.storeFunctor(new eoQuadGenOp<EOT>(static_cast<eoQuadOp<EOT>&>(_op)));
         case eoOp<EOT>::general   : return static_cast<eoGenOp<EOT>&>(_op);
       }
+
+      assert(false);
+      return static_cast<eoGenOp<EOT>&>(_op);
     }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/eo/src/eoGeneralBreeder.h b/eo/src/eoGeneralBreeder.h
index 0c0e4c8f..4c1eff80 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoGeneralBreeder.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoGeneralBreeder.h
@@ -33,12 +33,16 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 
 #include <eoOp.h>
+#include <eoGenOp.h>
 #include <eoPopulator.h>
+#include <eoSelectOne.h>
+#include <eoBreed.h>
+#include <utils/eoHowMany.h>
 
 /**
   Base class for breeders using generalized operators.
 */
-template<class EOT> 
+template<class EOT>
 class eoGeneralBreeder: public eoBreed<EOT>
 {
  public:
@@ -49,10 +53,13 @@ class eoGeneralBreeder: public eoBreed<EOT>
    * @param _rate               pour howMany, le nbre d'enfants a generer
    * @param _interpret_as_rate  <a href="../../tutorial/html/eoEngine.html#howmany">explanation</a>
    */
-  eoGeneralBreeder( eoSelectOne<EOT>& _select, eoGenOp<EOT>& _op, 
-	       double  _rate=1.0, bool _interpret_as_rate = true) : 
-    select( _select ), op(_op),  howMany(_rate, _interpret_as_rate) {}
-  
+  eoGeneralBreeder(
+          eoSelectOne<EOT>& _select,
+          eoGenOp<EOT>& _op,
+	        double  _rate=1.0,
+          bool _interpret_as_rate = true) :
+      select( _select ), op(_op),  howMany(_rate, _interpret_as_rate) {}
+
   /** The breeder: simply calls the genOp on a selective populator!
    *
    * @param _parents the initial population
@@ -69,15 +76,16 @@ class eoGeneralBreeder: public eoBreed<EOT>
       while (it.size() < target)
 	{
 	  op(it);
+    ++it;
 	}
-      
+
       swap(_offspring, it);
       _offspring.resize(target);   // you might have generated a few more
     }
-  
+
   /// The class name.
   string className() const { return "eoGeneralBreeder"; }
-  
+
  private:
   eoSelectOne<EOT>& select;
   eoGenOp<EOT>& op;
diff --git a/eo/src/eoPopulator.h b/eo/src/eoPopulator.h
index a16941f8..00ee03f5 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoPopulator.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoPopulator.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public :
   struct OutOfIndividuals {};
 
   /** a populator behaves like an iterator. Hence the operator*
-   *      it returns the current individual -- eventually getting 
+   *      it returns the current individual -- eventually getting
    *      a new one through the operator++ if at the end
    */
   EOT& operator*(void)
@@ -83,15 +83,6 @@ public :
     current = eoPop<EOT>::insert(current, _eo);
   }
 
-  /** useful for operators that generate less offspring than parents
-   *  though there is another way - using a selector *within*  
-   *  the operator to get the extra parents from outside 
-   */
-  void erase()
-  {
-    current = eoPop<EOT>::erase(current);
-  }
-
   /** just to make memory mangement more efficient
    */
   void reserve(int how_many)
@@ -115,11 +106,12 @@ public :
   /** no more individuals  */
   bool exhausted(void)          { return current == end(); }
 
+  virtual const EOT& select() = 0;
+
 protected :
-  /** the pure virtual selection method - will be instanciated in 
+  /** the pure virtual selection method - will be instanciated in
    *   eoSeqPopulator and eoPropPopulator
    */
-  virtual const EOT& select() = 0;
   eoPop<EOT>::iterator current;
   const eoPop<EOT>& src;
 };
@@ -133,7 +125,7 @@ class eoSeqPopulator : public eoPopulator<EOT>
 {
 public :
 
-  eoSeqPopulator(const eoPop<EOT>& _pop) : 
+  eoSeqPopulator(const eoPop<EOT>& _pop) :
     eoPopulator<EOT>(_pop), src_it(_pop.begin()) {}
 
   const EOT& select(void)
@@ -149,7 +141,7 @@ public :
 
 private :
   vector<EOT>::const_iterator src_it;
-}; 
+};
 
 
 /** SelectivePopulator an eoPoplator that uses an eoSelectOne to select guys.
@@ -169,7 +161,7 @@ public :
 
 private :
   eoSelectOne<EOT>& sel;
-}; 
+};
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/eo/src/eoRandomSelect.h b/eo/src/eoRandomSelect.h
index fd609f3e..417c0e29 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoRandomSelect.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoRandomSelect.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // eoRandomSelect.h
 // (c) GeNeura Team, 1998 - EEAAX 1999, Maarten Keijzer 2000
-/* 
+/*
     This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
     License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
@@ -41,23 +41,23 @@
 /** eoRandomSelect: a selection method that selects ONE individual randomly */
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-template <class EOT> class eoRandomSelect: public eoSelectOne<EOT> 
+template <class EOT> class eoRandomSelect: public eoSelectOne<EOT>
 {
  public:
-  
+
   /// not a big deal!!!
-  virtual const EOT& operator()(const eoPop<EOT>& _pop) 
+  virtual const EOT& operator()(const eoPop<EOT>& _pop)
   {
-    return _pop[eo::rng.random(pop.size())] ;
+    return _pop[eo::rng.random(_pop.size())] ;
   }
 };
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-/** eoBestSelect: a selection method that always return the best 
+/** eoBestSelect: a selection method that always return the best
  *                (mainly for testing purposes) */
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-template <class EOT> class eoBestSelect: public eoSelectOne<EOT> 
+template <class EOT> class eoBestSelect: public eoSelectOne<EOT>
 {
  public:
   
diff --git a/eo/src/other/eoExternalOpFunctions.h b/eo/src/other/eoExternalOpFunctions.h
index 62fd757c..a96991e7 100644
--- a/eo/src/other/eoExternalOpFunctions.h
+++ b/eo/src/other/eoExternalOpFunctions.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
         and 'genetic' operators
 
  (c) Maarten Keijzer (mkeijzer@mad.scientist.com) and GeNeura Team, 1999, 2000
- 
+
     This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
     License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public :
 
     void operator()(ExternalEO& _eo)
     {
-        _eo = (*init)();
+        _eo.External::operator=( (*init)() );
         _eo.invalidate();
     }