--- Image-Xbm-1.08/Xbm.pm~	2000-11-09 19:05:51 +0000

+++ Image-Xbm-1.08/Xbm.pm	2004-12-16 05:32:49 +0000

@@ -140,7 +140,9 @@ sub new { # Class and object method

     }

     my $file = $self->get( '-file' ) ;

-    $self->load if defined $file and -r $file and not $self->{'-bits'} ;

+    if (defined $file and not $self->{-bits}) {

+        $self->load if ref $file or -r $file;

+    }

     croak "new() `$file' not found or unreadable" 

     if defined $file and not defined $self->get( '-width' ) ;