Difference between "$object = new Class" and "$object =& new Class"

Hi, I'm using a 3rd pary debug class (ErrorHandler - http://www.phpclasses.org/browse.html/package/345.html) in this project I'm working on. For this ErrorHandler class to work it just needs to be instantiated at the beginning of a php file and it will catch the errors, warnings and notices. But I found out that this only functions when instantiating like this: $errorH =& new ErrorHandler; and it doesn't work when you do this: $errorH = new ErrorHandler; I find this very awkward because: - I don't see the use of a reference when creating a new object. - I don't see why it does NOT work when assigning the object while it DOES work when assigning a reference to the object. Does anyone have a clue why this could be happening?? I'm _very_ curious coz I simply don't get it. 8[ Greetz, Tim