it isn't very readable, but it works for me if i url-encode the query string. wgetz's http parser may be eating the '=' before the query parser. http://iubio.bio.indiana.edu/srs/wgetz? [libs%3D%7Bgenbank%20genbanknew%7D-all:esterase] -- -- d.gilbert--biocomputing--indiana u--bloomington--gilbertd at bio.indiana.edu