--- a/src/variables.cc
+++ b/src/variables.cc
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@
 initialize_symbol_tables (void)
 {
   if (! global_sym_tab)
-    global_sym_tab = new symbol_table ();
+    global_sym_tab = new symbol_table (2048);
 
   if (! top_level_sym_tab)
-    top_level_sym_tab = new symbol_table ();
+    top_level_sym_tab = new symbol_table (4096);
 
   curr_sym_tab = top_level_sym_tab;
 }
@@ -1512,7 +1512,7 @@
 void
 bind_builtin_variable (const string& varname, const octave_value& val,
 		       bool protect, bool eternal,
-		       symbol_record::sv_function sv_fcn,
+		       symbol_record::change_function chg_fcn,
 		       const string& help)
 {
   symbol_record *sr = global_sym_tab->lookup (varname, true);
@@ -1528,8 +1528,8 @@
   // variable function only if it knows about it, and it needs to, so
   // that user prefs can be properly initialized.
 
-  if (sv_fcn)
-    sr->set_sv_function (sv_fcn);
+  if (chg_fcn)
+    sr->set_change_function (chg_fcn);
 
   sr->define_builtin_var (val);
 
@@ -1788,6 +1788,30 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
+DEFUN (__dump_symtab_info__, args, ,
+  "__dump_symtab_info__ (): print raw symbol table statistices")
+{
+  octave_value_list retval;
+
+  int nargin = args.length ();
+
+  if (nargin == 1)
+    {
+      string arg = args(0).string_value ();
+
+      if (arg == "global")
+	global_sym_tab->print_stats ();
+      else
+	print_usage ("__dump_symtab_info__");
+    }
+  else if (nargin == 0)
+    curr_sym_tab->print_stats ();
+  else
+    print_usage ("__dump_symtab_info__");
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
 /*
 ;;; Local Variables: ***
 ;;; mode: C++ ***