private boolean _handleSpecialObjects(String name, DBObject o) {

    if (o == null) return false;

    if (o instanceof DBCollection) {
      DBCollection c = (DBCollection) o;
      putDBPointer(name, c.getName(), Bytes.COLLECTION_REF_ID);
      return true;
    }

    if (!_dontRefContains(o) && name != null && o instanceof DBPointer) {
      DBPointer r = (DBPointer) o;
      putDBPointer(name, r._ns, (ObjectId) r._id);
      return true;
    }

    if (!(o instanceof List) && o.get(Bytes.NO_REF_HACK) != null) {
      o.removeField(Bytes.NO_REF_HACK);
      return false;
    }

    if (!_dontRefContains(o) && name != null && !(o instanceof List) && cameFromDB(o)) {
      putDBPointer(name, o.get("_ns").toString(), (ObjectId) (o.get("_id")));
      return true;
    }

    return false;
  }
  /** this is really for embedded objects */
  private int putObject(String name, DBObject o) {
    if (o == null) throw new NullPointerException("can't save a null object");

    if (DEBUG)
      System.out.println(
          "putObject : " + name + " [" + o.getClass() + "]" + " # keys " + o.keySet().size());

    if (_flipped) throw new IllegalStateException("already flipped");
    final int start = _buf.position();

    byte myType = OBJECT;
    if (o instanceof List) myType = ARRAY;

    if (_handleSpecialObjects(name, o)) return _buf.position() - start;

    if (name != null) {
      _put(myType, name);
    }

    final int sizePos = _buf.position();
    _buf.putInt(0); // leaving space for this.  set it at the end

    List transientFields = null;

    if (myType == OBJECT) {
      if (o.containsField("_id")) _putObjectField("_id", o.get("_id"));

      {
        Object temp = o.get("_transientFields");
        if (temp instanceof List) transientFields = (List) temp;
      }
    }

    for (String s : o.keySet()) {

      if (s.equals("_id")) continue;

      if (transientFields != null && transientFields.contains(s)) continue;

      Object val = o.get(s);

      _putObjectField(s, val);
    }
    _buf.put(EOO);

    _buf.putInt(sizePos, _buf.position() - sizePos);
    return _buf.position() - start;
  }