diff --git a/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib_exp/newitem/adaptors.py b/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib_exp/newitem/adaptors.py
index 652179e99..42873e6ad 100644
--- a/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib_exp/newitem/adaptors.py
+++ b/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib_exp/newitem/adaptors.py
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ class ItemAdaptorMeta(type):
 
         cls = type.__new__(meta, class_name, bases, attrs)
 
-        cls.field_adaptors = cls.field_adaptors.copy()
+        cls._field_adaptors = cls._field_adaptors.copy()
     
         if cls.item_class:
             for item_field in cls.item_class.fields.keys():
                 if item_field in attrs:
                     adaptor = adaptize(attrs[item_field])
-                    cls.field_adaptors[item_field] = adaptor
+                    cls._field_adaptors[item_field] = adaptor
                     setattr(cls, item_field, staticmethod(adaptor))
 
         return cls
@@ -45,20 +45,21 @@ class ItemAdaptor(object):
     __metaclass__ = ItemAdaptorMeta
 
     item_class = None
-    field_adaptors = {}
     default_adaptor = IDENTITY
 
+    _field_adaptors = {}
+
     def __init__(self, response=None, item=None):
         self.item_instance = item if item else self.item_class()
         self._response = response
 
     def __setattr__(self, name, value):
         if (name.startswith('_') or name == 'item_instance' \
-            or name == 'default_adaptor' or name == 'field_adaptors'):
+            or name == 'default_adaptor'):
             return object.__setattr__(self, name, value)
 
         try:
-            fa = self.field_adaptors[name]
+            fa = self._field_adaptors[name]
         except KeyError:
             fa = self.default_adaptor
 
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ class ItemAdaptor(object):
 
     def __getattribute__(self, name):
         if (name.startswith('_') or name.startswith('item_') \
-            or name == 'default_adaptor' or name == 'field_adaptors'):
+            or name == 'default_adaptor'):
             return object.__getattribute__(self, name)
 
         return getattr(self.item_instance, name)
diff --git a/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/tests/test_itemadaptor.py b/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/tests/test_itemadaptor.py
index df858adb6..654057cbd 100644
--- a/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/tests/test_itemadaptor.py
+++ b/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/tests/test_itemadaptor.py
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ class ItemAdaptorTest(unittest.TestCase):
             url = lambda v: v.lower()
 
         ia = ChildTestAdaptor()
-        assert 'url' in ia.field_adaptors
-        assert 'name' in ia.field_adaptors
+        assert 'url' in ia._field_adaptors
+        assert 'name' in ia._field_adaptors
 
         ia.url = 'HTTP://scrapy.ORG'
         self.assertEqual(ia.url, 'http://scrapy.org')
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ class ItemAdaptorTest(unittest.TestCase):
             summary = lambda v: v
 
         ia = ChildChildTestAdaptor()
-        assert 'url' in ia.field_adaptors
-        assert 'name' in ia.field_adaptors
-        assert 'summary' in ia.field_adaptors
+        assert 'url' in ia._field_adaptors
+        assert 'name' in ia._field_adaptors
+        assert 'summary' in ia._field_adaptors
 
         ia.url = 'HTTP://scrapy.ORG'
         self.assertEqual(ia.url, 'HTTP://SCRAPY.ORG')