DREYFUS INTERNATIONAL FUNDS, INC.

DREYFUS PREMIER EMERGING MARKETS FUND
(CLASS A, CLASS B, CLASS C, CLASS I AND CLASS T SHARES)

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OCTOBER 1, 2008

     This Statement of Additional Information, which is not a prospectus, supplements and should be read in conjunction with the current Prospectus of Dreyfus Premier Emerging Markets Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Dreyfus International Funds, Inc. (the “Company”), dated October 1, 2008, as the Prospectus may be revised from time to time. To obtain a copy of the Fund’s Prospectus, please call your financial adviser or write to the Fund at 144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11556-0144, visit www.dreyfus.com, or call 1-800-554-4611.

     The Fund’s most recent Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders are separate documents supplied with this Statement of Additional Information, and the financial statements, accompanying notes and report of the independent registered public accounting firm appearing in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional Information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page
Description of the Company and Fund	B-2
Management of the Company and Fund	B-16
Management Arrangements	B-25
How to Buy Shares	B-32
Distribution Plan and Shareholder Services Plan	B-40
How to Redeem Shares	B-41
Shareholder Services	B-47
Determination of Net Asset Value	B-52
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes	B-54
Portfolio Transactions	B-56
Summary of Proxy Voting Policy, Procedures and Guidelines of
the Dreyfus Family of Funds	B-61
Information About the Company and Fund	B-63
Counsel and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	B-64

DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY AND FUND

     The Company is a Maryland corporation that commenced operations on June 29, 1993. The Fund commenced operations on June 28, 1996. The Fund is a separate series of the Company, an open-end management investment company, known as a mutual fund.

     The Dreyfus Corporation (the “Manager” or “Dreyfus”) serves as the Fund’s investment adviser.

     MBSC Securities Corporation (the “Distributor”) is the distributor of the Fund’s shares.

Certain Portfolio Securities

     The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectus.

     Foreign Securities. “Foreign securities” include securities of companies organized under the laws of countries other than the United States and debt securities issued or guaranteed by governments other than the U.S. Government or by foreign supranational entities. They also include securities of companies whose principal trading market is in a country other than the United States or of companies (including those that are located in the United States or organized under U.S. law) that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from foreign businesses, investments or sales, or that have a majority of their assets outside the United States. They may be traded on foreign securities exchanges or in the foreign over-the-counter markets. Supranational entities include international organizations designated or supported by government entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Coal and Steel Community, the Asian Development Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank.

     The Fund normally invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the stocks of companies organized, or with a majority of assets or business, in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries generally include all countries represented by the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Index. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index consisted of the following emerging market countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela.

     Securities of foreign issuers that are represented by American Depositary Receipts or that are listed on a U.S. securities exchange or traded in the U.S. over-the-counter markets are not considered “foreign securities” for the purpose of the Fund’s investment allocations, because they are not subject to many of the special considerations and risks, discussed in the Fund’s Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information, that apply to foreign securities traded and held abroad.

     Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares (collectively, “ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Shares (collectively, “GDRs”) and other forms of depositary receipts. These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a United States bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. GDRs are receipts issued outside the United States typically by non-United States banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in the United States securities markets and GDRs in bearer form are designed for use outside the United States.

     These securities may be purchased through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary. A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities, and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities. Purchases or sales of certain ADRs may result, indirectly, in fees being paid to the Depositary Receipt Division of The Bank of New York Mellon, an affiliate of the Manager, by brokers executing the purchases or sales.

     Common and Preferred Stocks. Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stock in its claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, the Fund may purchase preferred stock where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. The Fund may purchase trust preferred securities, which are preferred stocks issued by a special purpose trust subsidiary backed by subordinated debt of the corporate parent. These securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated company. Holders of the trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company.

     Convertible Securities. Convertible securities may be converted at either a stated price or stated rate into underlying shares of common stock. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed-income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock of the same issuer. Because of the subordination feature, however, convertible securities typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities.

     Although to a lesser extent than with fixed-income securities, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stock. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.

     Convertible securities provide for a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks, but there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. A convertible security, in addition to providing fixed income, offers the potential for capital appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. There can be no assurance of capital appreciation, however, because securities prices fluctuate. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of the potential for capital appreciation.

     Warrants. A warrant is a form of derivative that gives the holder the right to subscribe to a specified amount of the issuing corporation’s capital stock at a set price for a specified period of time. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its net assets in warrants, except that this limitation does not apply to warrants purchased by the Fund that are sold in units with, or attached to, other securities.

     Investment Companies. The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies. Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Fund’s investment in such securities, subject to certain exceptions, currently is limited to (i) 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets in the aggregate. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory fees and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. The Fund also may invest its uninvested cash reserves, or cash it receives as collateral from borrowers of its portfolio securities in connection with the Fund’s securities lending program, in shares of one or more money market funds advised by the Manager. Such investments will not be subject to the limitations described above. See “Lending Portfolio Securities.”

     Illiquid Securities. The Fund may invest up to 15% of the value of its net assets in securities as to which a liquid trading market does not exist, provided such investments are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. These securities may include securities that are not readily marketable, such as securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice and certain privately negotiated, non-exchange traded options and securities used to cover such

options. As to these securities, the Fund is subject to a risk that should the Fund desire to sell them when a ready buyer is not available at a price the Fund deems representative of their value, the value of the Fund’s net assets could be adversely affected.

     Money Market Instruments. When the Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Fund may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments, including U.S. Government securities, repurchase agreements, bank obligations and commercial paper. The Fund also may purchase money market instruments when it has cash reserves or in anticipation of taking a market position.

Investment Techniques

     The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectus.

     Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund may invest directly in foreign currencies of emerging market countries or hold financial instruments that provide investment exposure to such currencies, in addition to investing in emerging market bonds and other debt instruments denominated in the local currency of issue. To the extent the Fund invests in such currencies, the Fund will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar.

     The Fund may enter into foreign currency transactions for a variety of purposes, including: to fix in U.S. dollars, between trade and settlement date, the value of a security the Fund has agreed to buy or sell; to hedge the U.S. dollar value of securities the Fund already owns, particularly if it expects a decrease in the value of the currency in which the foreign security is denominated; or to gain exposure to the foreign currency in an attempt to realize gains.

     Foreign currency transactions may involve, for example, the Fund’s purchase of foreign currencies for U.S. dollars or the maintenance of short positions in foreign currencies. A short position would involve the Fund agreeing to exchange an amount of a currency it did not currently own for another currency at a future date in anticipation of a decline in the value of the currency sold relative to the currency the Fund contracted to receive. The Fund’s success in these transactions may depend on the Manager’s ability to predict accurately the future exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

     The Fund also may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts (“forward contracts”) for the purchase or sale of a specified currency at a specified future date. The cost to the Fund of engaging in forward contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because forward contracts are usually entered into on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved. Generally, secondary markets do not exist for forward contracts, with the result that closing transactions can be made for forward contracts only by negotiating directly with the counterparty to the contract

     Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets

and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or perceived changes in interest rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.

     Short-Selling. In these transactions, the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the security. The Fund may make short-sales to hedge positions, for duration and risk management, to maintain portfolio flexibility or to enhance returns. To complete a short-sale transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it subsequently at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund, which would result in a loss or gain, respectively.

     The Fund will not sell securities short if, after effect is given to any such short sale, the total market value of all securities sold short would exceed 25% of the value of the Fund’s net assets.

     The Fund also may make short sales “against the box,” in which the Fund enters into a short sale of a security it owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire at no additional cost at the time of the sale. At no time will more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets be in deposits on short sales against the box.

     Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, it will: (a) segregate permissible liquid assets in an amount that, together with the amount provided as collateral, always equals the current value of the security sold short; or (b) otherwise cover its short position.

     Borrowing Money. The Fund is permitted to borrow to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, which permits an investment company to borrow in an amount up to 33-1/3% of the value of its total assets. The Fund, however, currently intends to borrow money only for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes, in an amount up to 15% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made. While such borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets, the Fund will not make any additional investments.

     Lending Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions needing to borrow securities to complete certain transactions. In connection with such loans, the Fund remains the owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. The Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. The Fund may call the loan to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund’s investment is to be voted upon. Loans of portfolio securities may not exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). The Fund will receive collateral consisting of cash, U.S. Government securities or irrevocable letters of credit which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least

100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of a letter of credit or securities, the borrower will pay the Fund a loan premium fee. If the collateral consists of cash, the Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or “rebate” from any return earned on the investment. The Fund may participate in a securities lending program operated by The Bank of New York Mellon, as lending agent (the “Lending Agent”). The Lending Agent will receive a percentage of the total earnings of the Fund derived from lending its portfolio securities. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, the Fund may experience delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the Manager to be of good financial standing. In a loan transaction, the Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The Fund will minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to money market funds advised by the Manager, repurchase agreements or other high quality instruments with short maturities.

     Derivatives. The Fund may invest in, or enter into, derivatives, for a variety of reasons, including to hedge certain market or interest rate risks, to provide a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities or to increase potential income gain. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities and related indexes. Examples of derivatives instruments the Fund may use include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and participatory notes. Derivatives may provide a cheaper, quicker or more specifically focused way for the Fund to invest than “traditional” securities would. The Fund’s portfolio managers may decide not to employ any of these strategies and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed.

     Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk, depending upon the characteristics of the particular derivative and the portfolio as a whole. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in derivatives could have a large potential impact on the Fund’s performance.

     If the Fund invests in derivatives at inopportune times or judges market conditions incorrectly, such investments may lower the Fund’s return or result in a loss. The Fund also could experience losses if its derivatives were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if the Fund were unable to liquidate its position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives.

     Derivatives may be purchased on established exchanges or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter derivatives. Exchange-traded derivatives generally are guaranteed by the clearing agency which is the issuer or counterparty to such derivatives. This guarantee usually is supported by a daily variation margin system operated by the clearing agency in order to reduce overall credit risk. As a result, unless the clearing agency defaults,

there is relatively little counterparty credit risk associated with derivatives purchased on an exchange. By contrast, no clearing agency guarantees over-the-counter derivatives. Therefore, each party to an over-the-counter derivative bears the risk that the counterparty will default. Accordingly, the Manager will consider the creditworthiness of counterparties to over-the-counter derivatives in the same manner as it would review the credit quality of a security to be purchased by the Fund. Over-the-counter derivatives are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since the other party to the transaction may be the only investor with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it.

     Some derivatives the Fund may use may involve leverage (e.g., an instrument linked to the value of a securities index may return income calculated as a multiple of the price movement of the underlying index). This economic leverage will increase the volatility of these instruments as they may increase or decrease in value more quickly than the underlying security, index, futures contract, currency or other economic variable. Pursuant to regulations and/or published positions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Fund may be required to segregate permissible liquid assets, or engage in other measures approved by the SEC or its staff, to "cover" the Fund's obligations relating to its transactions in derivatives. For example, in the case of futures contracts or forward contracts that are not contractually required to cash settle, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to such contracts' full notional value (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying a future contract at the time of valuation) while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts or forward contracts that are contractually required to cash settle, however, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund's daily marked-to-market net obligation (i.e., the Fund's daily net liability) under the contracts, if any, rather than such contracts' full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled futures or forward contracts, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts.

     Neither the Company nor the Fund will be a commodity pool. The Company has filed notice with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association of its eligibility as a registered investment company for an exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator and that neither the Company nor the Fund is subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Futures Transactions--In General. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security for a set price on a future date. These contracts are traded on exchanges, so that, in most cases, either party can close out its position on the exchange for cash, without delivering the security. An option on a futures contract gives the holder of the option the right to buy from or sell to the writer of the option a position in a futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified expiration date.

      Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying securities, generally these obligations are closed out before delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). Closing out a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument with the same delivery date. If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain,

or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Transaction costs also are included in these calculations.

     The Fund may enter into futures contracts in U.S. domestic markets or on exchanges located outside the United States. Foreign markets may offer advantages such as trading opportunities or arbitrage possibilities not available in the United States. Foreign markets, however, may have greater risk potential than domestic markets. For example, some foreign exchanges are principal markets so that no common clearing facility exists and an investor may look only to the broker for performance of the contract. In addition, any profits that the Fund might realize in trading could be eliminated by adverse changes in the currency exchange rate, or the Fund could incur losses as a result of those changes. Transactions on foreign exchanges may include commodities which are traded on domestic exchanges or those which are not. Unlike trading on domestic commodity exchanges, trading on foreign commodity exchanges is not regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

     Engaging in these transactions involves risk of loss to the Fund which could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s net assets. Although the Fund intends to purchase or sell futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, no assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular contract at any particular time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses.

     Successful use of futures by the Fund also is subject to the Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant market and, to the extent the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, to ascertain the appropriate correlation between the positions being hedged and the price movements of the futures contract. For example, if the Fund uses futures to hedge against the possibility of a decline in the market value of securities held in its portfolio and the prices of such securities instead increase, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. Furthermore, if in such circumstances the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements. The Fund may have to sell such securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

Specific Futures Transactions. The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures contracts. A stock index future obligates the Fund to pay or receive an amount of cash equal to a fixed dollar amount specified in the futures contract multiplied by the difference between the settlement price of the contract on the contract’s last trading day and the value of the index based on the stock prices of the securities that comprise it at the opening of trading in such securities on the next business day.

     The Fund may purchase and sell currency futures. A foreign currency future obligates the Fund to purchase or sell an amount of a specific currency at a future date at a specific price.

Options--In General. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets, represented by the premium paid, in the purchase of call and put options. The Fund may write (i.e., sell) covered call and put option contracts to the extent of 20% of the value of its net assets at the time such option contracts are written. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and obligates the writer to sell, the underlying security or securities at the exercise price at any time during the option period, or at a specific date. Conversely, a put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying security or securities at the exercise price at any time during the option period, or at a specific date.

     A covered call option written by the Fund is a call option with respect to which the Fund owns the underlying security or otherwise covers the transaction such as by segregating permissible liquid assets. A put option written by the Fund is covered when, among other things, the Fund segregates permissible liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option to fulfill the obligation undertaken or otherwise covers the transaction. The principal reason for writing covered call and put options is to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the underlying securities alone. The Fund receives a premium from writing covered call or put options which it retains whether or not the option is exercised.

     There is no assurance that sufficient trading interest to create a liquid secondary market on a securities exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time, and for some options no such secondary market may exist. A liquid secondary market in an option may cease to exist for a variety of reasons. In the past, for example, higher than anticipated trading activity or order flow, or other unforeseen events, at times have rendered certain of the clearing facilities inadequate and resulted in the institution of special procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders or trading halts or suspensions in one or more options. There can be no assurance that similar events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the timely execution of customers’ orders, will not recur. In such event, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options. If, as a covered call option writer, the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security upon exercise or it otherwise covers its position.

Specific Options Transactions. The Fund may purchase and sell call and put options in respect of specific securities (or groups or “baskets” of specific securities) or stock indices listed on national securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. An option on a stock index is similar to an option in respect of specific securities, except that settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. Instead, the option holder receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than in the case of a call, or less than in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. Thus, the effectiveness of purchasing or writing stock index options will depend upon price movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular stock.

     The Fund may purchase and sell call and put options on foreign currency. These options convey the right to buy or sell the underlying currency at a price which is expected to be lower or higher than the spot price of the currency at the time the option is exercised or expires.

     The Fund also may purchase cash-settled options on equity index swaps in pursuit of its investment objective. Equity index swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of cash flows based upon the performance of an index or a portion of an index of securities which usually includes dividends. A cash-settled option on a swap gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for the premium paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap as of the exercise date. These options typically are purchased in privately negotiated transactions from financial institutions, including securities brokerage firms.

     Successful use by the Fund of options will be subject to the Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the prices of individual stocks, the stock market generally, foreign currencies or interest rates. To the extent the Manager’s predictions are incorrect, the Fund may incur losses.

     Participatory Notes. The Fund may invest in participatory notes issued by banks or broker-dealers that are designed to replicate the performance of certain issuers and markets. Participatory notes are a type of equity-linked derivative which generally are traded over-the-counter. The performance results of participatory notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the issuers or markets that the notes seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. Investments in participatory notes involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the shares of the companies the notes seek to replicate. In addition, participatory notes are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the broker-dealer or bank that issues the notes will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund. Participatory notes constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them, and the Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such banks or broker-dealers and has no rights under a participatory note against the issuers of the securities underlying such participatory notes. Participatory notes involve transaction costs. Participatory notes may be considered illiquid and, therefore, participatory notes considered illiquid will be subject to the Fund's percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities.

     Future Developments. The Fund may take advantage of opportunities in options and futures contracts and options on futures contracts and any other derivatives which are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before the Fund enters into such transactions or makes any such investment, the Fund will provide appropriate disclosure in its Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information.

     Forward Commitments. The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, which means that delivery and payment take place in the future after the date of the commitment to purchase. The payment obligation and the interest rate receivable on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery security are fixed when the Fund enters into the commitment, but the Fund does not make payment until it receives delivery from the counterparty. The Fund will commit to purchase such securities only with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but the Fund may sell these securities before the settlement date if it is deemed advisable. The Fund will segregate permissible liquid assets at least equal at all times to the amount of the Fund’s purchase commitments.

     Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis are subject to changes in value (generally changing in the same way, i.e., appreciating when interest rates decline and depreciating when interest rates rise) based upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis may expose the Fund to risks because they may experience such fluctuations prior to their actual delivery. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis can involve the additional risk that the yield available in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis when the Fund is fully or almost fully invested may result in greater potential fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s net assets and its net asset value per share.

Certain Investment Considerations and Risks

     Equity Securities. Equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants, fluctuate in value, often based on factors unrelated to the value of the issuer of the securities, and such fluctuations can be pronounced. Changes in the value of the Fund’s investments will result in changes in the value of its shares and thus the Fund’s total return to investors.

     The Fund may purchase securities of small capitalization companies, the prices of which may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies, because these securities typically are traded in lower volume and the issuers typically are more subject to changes in earnings and prospects.

     The Fund may purchase securities of companies offered in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) or shortly thereafter. An IPO is a corporation’s first offering of stock to the public. Shares are given a market value reflecting expectations for the corporation’s future growth. Special rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) apply to the distribution of IPOs. Corporations offering IPOs generally have limited operating histories and may involve greater investment risk. The prices of these companies’ securities can be very volatile, rising and falling rapidly based sometimes solely on investor perceptions rather than economic reasons.

     The Fund may invest in securities issued by companies in the technology sector, which has been among the most volatile sectors of the stock market. Technology companies involve greater risk because their revenues and earnings tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses) and their share prices tend to be more volatile. Certain technology companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or may depend on a limited management group. In addition, these companies are strongly affected by worldwide technological developments, and their products and services may not be economically successful or may quickly become outdated. Investor perception may play a greater role in determining the day-to-day value of technology stocks than it does in other sectors. Fund investments made in anticipation of future products and services may decline dramatically in value if the anticipated products or services are delayed or canceled.

     Foreign Securities. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers, as well as instruments that provide investment exposure to foreign securities and markets, involves risks that are not typically associated with investing in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of domestic issuers. Investments in foreign issuers may be affected by changes in currency rates, changes in foreign or U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to such investments and in exchange control regulations (e.g., currency blockage). A decline in the exchange rate of the currency (i.e., weakening of the currency against the U.S. dollar) in which a portfolio security is quoted or denominated relative to the U.S. dollar would reduce the value of the portfolio security. A change in the value of such foreign currency against the U.S. dollar also will result in a change in the amount of income a Fund has available for distribution. Because a portion of the Fund’s investment income may be received in foreign currencies, the Fund will be required to compute its income in U.S. dollars for distribution to shareholders, and therefore the Fund will absorb the cost of currency fluctuations. After the Fund has distributed income, subsequent foreign currency losses may result in the Fund having distributed more income in a particular fiscal period than was available from investment income, which could result in a return of capital to shareholders. In addition, if the exchange rate for the currency in which the Fund receives interest payments declines against the U.S. dollar before such income is distributed as dividends to shareholders, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to enable the Fund to pay such dividends. Commissions on transactions in foreign securities may be higher than those for similar transactions on domestic stock markets and foreign custodial costs are higher than domestic custodial costs. In addition, clearance and settlement procedures may be different in foreign countries and, in certain markets, such procedures have on occasion been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, thus making it difficult to conduct such transactions.

     Foreign securities markets generally are not as developed or efficient as those in the United States. Securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign securities markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the United States.

     Because evidences of ownership of foreign securities usually are held outside the United States, by investing in foreign securities, the Fund will be subject to additional risks which include possible adverse political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits and adoption of governmental restrictions which might adversely affect or restrict the payment of principal, interest and dividends on the foreign securities to investors located outside the country of the issuer, whether from currency blockage or otherwise. Moreover, foreign securities held by the Fund may trade on days when the Fund does not calculate its net asset value and thus may affect the Fund’s net asset value on days when investors have no access to the Fund.

     The risks associated with investing in foreign securities are often heightened for investments in emerging market countries. These heightened risks include (i) greater risks of expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, and less social, political and economic stability; (ii) the small size of the markets for securities of emerging market issuers and the currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, resulting in lack of liquidity and in price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities

including restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests; and (iv) the absence of developed legal structures governing private or foreign investment and private property. The Fund’s purchase and sale of portfolio securities in certain emerging market countries may be constrained by limitations as to daily changes in the prices of listed securities, periodic trading or settlement volume and/or limitations on aggregate holdings of foreign investors. In certain cases, such limitations may be computed based upon the aggregate trading by or holdings of the Fund, the Manager and its affiliates and their respective clients and other service providers. The fund may not be able to sell securities in circumstances where price, trading or settlement volume limitations have been reached. These limitations may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and may adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investment to the extent that it invests in certain emerging market countries. In addition, some emerging market countries may have fixed or managed currencies which are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain emerging market countries’ currencies may not be internationally traded. Certain of these currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar. If the Fund does not hedge the U.S. dollar value of securities it owns denominated in currencies that are devalued, the Fund’s net asset value will be adversely affected. Many emerging market countries have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries.

     Fixed-Income Securities. The Fund, to a limited extent, may invest in corporate debt obligations and other fixed-income securities when management believes that such securities offer opportunities for capital growth. Even though interest-bearing securities are investments which promise a stable stream of income, the prices of such securities generally are inversely affected by changes in interest rates and, therefore, are subject to the risk of market price fluctuations. The values of fixed-income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of the issuer. Once the rating of a portfolio security has been changed, the Fund will consider all circumstances deemed relevant in determining whether to continue to hold the security.

Investment Restrictions

     Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in the stocks of companies organized, or with a majority of assets or business, in emerging market countries (or other instruments with similar economic characteristics) as described in its Prospectus. The Fund has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any change in its policy to so invest 80% of its assets.

     The Fund’s investment objective is a fundamental policy, which cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund’s outstanding voting shares. In addition, the Fund has adopted investment restrictions numbered 1 through 8 as fundamental policies. Investment restrictions numbered 9 through 14 are not fundamental policies and may be changed by vote of a majority of the Company’s Board members at any time. The Fund may not:

     1.Invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in the securities of issuers in any single industry, provided that there shall be no limitation on the purchase of obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

     2.Invest in commodities, except that the Fund may purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those related to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices.

     3.Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or other mineral leases or exploration or development programs, but the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or issued by companies that invest or deal in real estate or real estate investment trusts.

     4.Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act (which currently limits borrowing to no more than 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets). For purposes of this Investment Restriction, the entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices shall not constitute borrowing.

     5.Make loans to others, except through the purchase of debt obligations and the entry into repurchase agreements. However, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33-1/3% of the value of its total assets. Any loans of portfolio securities will be made according to guidelines established by the SEC and the Company’s Board.

     6.Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by virtue of disposing of portfolio securities.

     7.Issue any senior security (as such term is defined in Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act), except to the extent the activities permitted in Investment Restriction Nos. 2, 4, 11 and 12 may be deemed to give rise to a senior security.

     8.Purchase securities on margin, but the Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those related to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices.

     9.Purchase securities of any company having less than three years’ continuous operations (including operations of any predecessor) if such purchase would cause the value of the Fund’s investments in all such companies to exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.

     10.Invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, but the Fund will vote the securities it owns in its portfolio as a shareholder in accordance with its views.

     11.Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets, except to the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and to the extent related to the purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with writing covered put and call options and collateral and initial or variation margin arrangements

with respect to options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices.

     12.Purchase, sell or write puts, calls or combinations thereof, except as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.

     13.Enter into repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice or purchase securities which are illiquid, if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets would be so invested.

     14.Purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

     The Fund also has adopted a policy prohibiting it from operating as a fund-of-funds in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

     If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later change in percentage resulting from a change in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. With respect to Investment Restriction No. 4, however, if borrowings exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets as a result of a change in values or assets, the Fund must take steps to reduce such borrowings at least to the extent of such excess.

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY AND FUND

     The Company’s Board is responsible for the management and supervision of the Fund, and approves all significant agreements with those companies that furnish services to the Fund. These companies are as follows:

The Dreyfus Corporation	Investment Adviser
MBSC Securities Corporation	Distributor
Dreyfus Transfer, Inc	Transfer Agent
The Bank of New York Mellon	Custodian

Board Members of the Company¹

     Board members and officers of the Company, together with information as to their positions with the Company, principal occupations and other Board memberships and affiliations, are shown below.

Name (Age)	Principal Occupation
Position with Company (Since)	During Past 5 Years	Other Board Memberships and Affiliations
Joseph S. DiMartino (64)	Corporate Director and Trustee	The Muscular Dystrophy Association, Director
Chairman of the Board (1995)		Century Business Services, Inc., a provider of
		outsourcing functions for small and medium size

¹None of the Board members are “interested persons” of the Company, as defined in the 1940 Act.

Name (Age)	Principal Occupation
Position with Company (Since)	During Past 5 Years	Other Board Memberships and Affiliations
		companies, Director
		The Newark Group, a provider of a national market
		of paper recovery facilities, paperboard mills and
		paperboard converting plants, Director
		Sunair Service Corporation, a provider of certain
		outdoor-related services to homes and businesses,
		Director
Peggy C. Davis (65)	Shad Professor of Law,	None
Board Member (2006)	New York University School
	of Law (1983 – present)
	Writer and teacher in the fields
	of evidence, constitutional
	theory, family law, social
	sciences and the law, legal
	process and professional
	methodology and training
David P. Feldman (68)	Corporate Director and Trustee	BBH Mutual Funds Group (11 funds), Director
Board Member (1994)		The Jeffrey Company, a private investment
		company, Director
James F. Henry (77)	President, The International	Director, advisor and mediator involved in several
Board Member (1993)	Institute for Conflict	non-profit organizations, primarily engaged in
	Prevention and Resolution, a	domestic and international dispute resolution, and
	non-profit organization	historic preservation.
	principally engaged in the
	development of alternatives
	to business litigation (Retired
	2003)
	Advisor to the Elaw Forum, a
	consultant on managing
	corporate legal costs
	Advisor to John Jay Homestead
	(the restored home of the first
	U.S. Chief Justice)
	Individual Trustee of several
	trusts
Ehud Houminer (67)	Executive-in-Residence at the	Avnet Inc., an electronics distributor, Director
Board Member (2006)	Columbia Business School,	International Advisory Board to the MBA Program
	Columbia University	School of Management, Ben Gurion University,
		Chairman

Name (Age)	Principal Occupation
Position with Company (Since)	During Past 5 Years	Other Board Memberships and Affiliations
Gloria Messinger (78)	Arbitrator for American	Theater for a New Audience, Inc., Director
Board Member (2006)	Arbitration Association from	Brooklyn Philharmonic, Director
	1994 to present
	Arbitrator for FINRA
	(formerly, National Association
	of Securities Dealers Inc.) from
	1994 to present
	Consultant in Intellectual
	Property
Dr. Martin Peretz (69)	Editor-in-Chief of The New	American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Director
Board Member (1993)	Republic Magazine	Pershing Square Capital Management, Member of
	Director of TheStreet.com, a	Board of Advisers
	financial information service	Montefiore Investments, General Partner
	daily on the web	Harvard Center for Blood Research, Trustee
		Bard College, Trustee
		Board of Overseers of YIVO Institute for Jewish
		Research, Chairman
Anne Wexler (78)	Chairman of Wexler & Walker	WETA – DC’s Public TV and Radio Station,
Board Member (2006)	Public Policy Associates,	Vice Chairman
	consultants specializing in	The Community Foundation for the National Capital
	government relations and	Region, Director
	public affairs from January	Member of the Council of Foreign Relations
	1981 to present

     Board members are elected to serve for an indefinite term. The Company has standing audit, nominating and compensation committees, each comprised of its Board members who are not “interested persons” of the Company, as defined in the 1940 Act. The function of the audit committee is (i) to oversee the Company’s accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the Fund’s financial statements and (ii) to assist in the Board’s oversight of the integrity of the Fund’s financial statements, the Fund’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, independence and performance. The Company’s nominating committee is responsible for selecting and nominating persons as members of the Board for election or appointment by the Board and for election by shareholders. In evaluating potential nominees, including any nominees recommended by shareholders, the committee takes into consideration various factors listed in the nominating committee charter, including character and integrity, business and professional experience, and whether the committee believes the person has the ability to apply sound and independent business judgment and would act in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders. The nominating committee will consider recommendations for nominees from shareholders submitted to the Secretary of the Company, c/o The Dreyfus Corporation Legal Department, 200 Park Avenue, 8^th Floor East, New York, New York 10166, which includes information regarding the recommended nominee as specified in the nominating committee charter. The function of the compensation committee is to establish the appropriate compensation for serving on the Board. The Company also has a standing pricing committee comprised of any one Board member. The function of the pricing committee is to assist in valuing the Fund’s investments.

The audit committee met four times, the pricing committee met once, and the nominating and compensation committees did not meet during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008.

     The table below indicates the dollar range of each Board member’s ownership of Fund shares and shares of other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds for which he or she is a Board member, in each case as of December 31, 2007.

		Aggregate Holding of Funds in the
		Dreyfus Family of Funds for which
	Fund	Responsible as a Board Member
Joseph S. DiMartino	None	Over $100,000
Peggy C. Davis	None	None
David P. Feldman	None	Over $100,000
James F. Henry	None	Over $100,000
Ehud Houminer	None	Over $100,000
Gloria Messinger	None	Over $100,000
Dr. Martin Peretz	None	$10,001 - $50,000
Anne Wexler	None	None

     As of December 31, 2007, none of the Board members or their immediate family members owned securities of the Manager, the Distributor or any person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Manager or the Distributor.

     Currently, the Company and 12 other funds (comprised of 37 portfolios) in the Dreyfus Family of Funds pay each Board member their respective allocated portion of an annual retainer of $85,000, and a fee of $10,000 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended, $2,000 for separate in-person committee meetings attended which are not held in conjunction with a regularly scheduled Board meeting and $1,000 for Board meetings and separate committee meetings attended that are conducted by telephone. The Chairman of the Board receives an additional 25% of such compensation and the Audit Committee Chairman receives an additional $15,000 per annum. The Company also reimburses each Board member for travel and out of pocket expenses in connection with attending Board or committee meetings. Each Emeritus Board member is entitled to receive an annual retainer of one-half the amount paid as a retainer at the time the Board member became Emeritus and a per meeting attended fee of one-half the amount paid to Board members.

     The aggregate amount of compensation paid by the Company to each Board member for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008, and by all funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds for which such person is a Board member (the number of portfolios of such funds is set forth in parenthesis next to each Board member’s total compensation) for the year ended December 31, 2007, was as follows:

		Total Compensation From
		the Company and Fund
Name of	Aggregate Compensation	Complex Paid to Board
Board Member	From the Company*	Member(**)
Joseph S. DiMartino	$9,809	$819,865 (196)
Peggy C. Davis	$7,815	$243,500 (81)
David P. Feldman	$8,621	$204,718 (60)
John M. Fraser, Jr.+	$4,246	$32,500 (49)
James F. Henry	$7,756	$138,000 (49)
Ehud Houminer	$7,815	$223,500 (79)
Rosalind Gersten Jacobs++	$10,744	$82,000 (81)
Dr. Paul A. Marks+++	$3,907	$69,500 (49)
Gloria Messinger	$7,815	$140,000 (49)
Dr. Martin Peretz	$7,212	$130,000 (49)
Anne Wexler	$7,812	$193,213 (60)

*	Amount does not include the cost of office space, secretarial services and health benefits for the
	Chairman and expenses reimbursed to Board members for attending Board meetings, which in the
	aggregate amounted to $4,901
**	Represents the number of separate portfolios comprising the investment companies in the Fund
	Complex, including the Fund, for which the Board member serves.
+	Emeritus Board member since May 24, 2000.
++	Emeritus Board member since December 31, 2005.
+++	Emeritus Board member since December 31, 2006.

Officers of the Company

J. DAVID OFFICER, President since December 2006. Chief Operating Officer, Vice Chairman and a director of the Manager, and an officer of 76 investment companies (comprised of 157 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 59 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since April 1998.

PHILLIP N. MAISANO, Executive Vice President since July 2007. Chief Investment Officer, Vice Chair and a director of the Manager, and an officer of 76 investment companies (comprised of 157 portfolios) managed by the Manager. Mr. Maisano also is an officer and/or board member of certain other investment management subsidiaries of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (“BNY Mellon”), an affiliate of the Manager. He is 61 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since November 2006. Prior to joining the Manager, Mr. Maisano served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EACM Advisors, an affiliate of the Manager, since August 2004, and served as Chief Executive Officer of Evaluation Associates, a leading institutional investment consulting firm, from 1988 until 2004.

MICHAEL A. ROSENBERG, Vice President and Secretary since August 2005. Assistant General Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 48 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since October 1991.

JAMES WINDELS, Treasurer since November 2001. Director-Mutual Fund Accounting of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 49 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since April 1985.

JAMES BITETTO, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Senior Counsel of BNY Mellon and Secretary of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 42 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since December 1996.

JONI LACKS CHARATAN, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Senior Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. She is 52 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since October 1988.

JOSEPH M. CHIOFFI, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Senior Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 46 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since June 2000.

JANETTE E. FARRAGHER, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Assistant General Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. She is 45 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since February 1984.

JOHN B. HAMMALIAN, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Managing Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 45 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since February 1991.

ROBERT R. MULLERY, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Managing Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 56 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since May 1986.

JEFF PRUSNOFSKY, Vice President and Assistant Secretary since August 2005. Managing Counsel of BNY Mellon, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 43 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since October 1990.

RICHARD S. CASSARO, Assistant Treasurer since January 2008. Senior Accounting Manager – Money Market and Municipal Bond Funds of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 49 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since October 1982.

GAVIN C. REILLY, Assistant Treasurer since December 2005. Tax manager of the Investment Accounting and Support Department of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 39 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since April 1991.

ROBERT S. ROBOL, Assistant Treasurer since August 2005. Senior Accounting Manager – Fixed Income Funds of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 44 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since October 1988.

ROBERT SALVIOLO, Assistant Treasurer since July 2007. Senior Accounting Manager – Equity Funds of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 41 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since June 1989.

ROBERT SVAGNA, Assistant Treasurer since December 2002. Senior Accounting Manager –Equity Funds of the Manager, and an officer of 77 investment companies (comprised of 174 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 41 years old and has been an employee of the Manager since November 1990.

WILLIAM GERMENIS, Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer since September 2002. Vice President and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of the Distributor, and the Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of 73 investment companies (comprised of 170 portfolios) managed by the Manager. He is 37 years old and has been an employee of the Distributor since October 1998.

JOSEPH W. CONNOLLY, Chief Compliance Officer since October 2004. Chief Compliance Officer of the Manager and The Dreyfus Family of Funds (77 investment companies, comprised of 174 portfolios). From November 2001 through March 2004, Mr. Connolly was first Vice-President, Mutual Fund Servicing for Mellon Global Securities Services. In that capacity, Mr. Connolly was responsible for managing Mellon’s Custody, Fund Accounting and Fund Administration services to third-party mutual fund clients. He is 51 years old and has served in various capacities with the Manager since 1980, including manager of the firm’s Fund Accounting Department from 1997 through October 2001.

     The address of each Board member and officer of the Company is 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166.

     The Company’s Board members and officers, as a group, owned less than 1% of the Fund’s voting securities outstanding on September 12, 2008.

     The following shareholders owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund as of September 12, 2008:

Class A
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.	21.321%
333 West 34 th Street
New York, NY 10001-2402
Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.	16.4909%
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104-4151
National Financial Services	11.87%
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109-3605
Citistreet Retirement Services	7.7553%
Citigroup Institutional Trust
400 Atrium Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873-4162
SEI Private Trust	5.7803%
Mutual Fund Administrator.
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, PA 19456
Class B
National Financial Services	14.4958%
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109-3605
UBS Financial Services, Inc.	12.1815%
c/o Central CK Deposit/Insurance
1000 Harbor Boulevard, 7 th Floor,
Weehawken, NJ 07086-6790
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.	8.963%
333 West 34 th Street-3 rd Floor
New York, NY 10001-2402
Pershing LLC	7.9751%
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.	5.1732%

for the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Administrator
4800 Deer Lake Drive East, 3 rd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
Class C
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.		17.9999%
Mutual Fund Processing Department
333 West 34 th Street, 3 rd Floor
New York, NY 10001-2402
First Clearing, LLC		14.1121%
10750 Wheat First Drive
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.		12.6228%
for the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Administrator
4800 Deer Lake Drive East, 3 rd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.		9.6347%
One Financial Plaza
501 North Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63102-2131
A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc		8.5633%
One North Jefferson
St. Louis, MO	63103
Pershing LLC		5.4875%
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ	07303-2052
Class I
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Co.		46.179%
As Agent for Certain Employee Benefit Plans
100 Magellan Way
Covington, KY 41015-1999
JP Morgan Chase Bank as Directed TR		41.9552%
For the Benefit of The Super Saver Employees Plan
c/o JP Morgan American Century
P.O. Box 419784
Kansas City, MO 64141-6784

Wheeler & Company	5.465%
c/o Nixon & Peabody LLP
100 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02110-2106
Class T
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.	71.1335%
Mutual Fund Processing Department
333 West 34 th Street, 3 rd Floor
New York, NY 10001-2402
Walter S. Ordakowski	28.8665%
& Mary Niemotka JTWROS
1513 Manchester Avenue
Westchester, IL 60154-3725

     A shareholder that beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the Company’s voting securities may be deemed to be a “control person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company.

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

     Investment Adviser. The Manager is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNY Mellon, a global financial services company focused on helping clients move and manage their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets. BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services of institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing asset and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team.

     Management Agreement. The Manager provides management services pursuant to a Management Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Manager and the Company. The Agreement is subject to annual approval by (i) the Company’s Board or (ii) vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, provided that in either event the continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board members who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company or the Manager, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Agreement is terminable without penalty, on 60 days’ notice, by the Company’s Board or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s shares, or, on not less than 90 days’ notice, by the Manager. The Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

     The following persons are officers and/or directors of the Manager: Jonathan Little, Chair of the Board; Jonathan Baum, Chief Executive Officer and a director; J. Charles Cardona, President and a director; Diane P. Durnin, Vice Chair and a director; Phillip N. Maisano, Chief

Investment Officer, Vice Chair and a director; J. David Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Vice Chair and a director; Dwight Jacobsen, Executive Vice President; Patrice M. Kozlowski, Senior Vice President-Corporate Communications; Jill Gill, Vice President- Human Resources; Anthony Mayo, Vice President-Information Systems; Theodore A. Schachar, Vice President-Tax; John E. Lane, Vice President; Jeanne M. Login, Vice President; Gary Pierce, Controller; Joseph W. Connolly, Chief Compliance Officer; James Bitetto, Secretary; and Mitchell E. Harris, Ronald P.O’Hanley III and Scott E. Wennerholm, directors.

     The Manager maintains office facilities on behalf of the Fund, and furnishes statistical and research data, clerical help, accounting, data processing, bookkeeping and internal auditing and certain other required services to the Fund. The Manager may pay the Distributor for shareholder services from the Manager’s own assets, including past profits but not including the management fee paid by the Fund. The Distributor may use part or all of such payments to pay certain financial institutions (which may include banks), securities dealers (“Selected Dealers”) and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Agents”) in respect of these services. The Manager also may make such advertising and promotional expenditures, using its own resources, as it from time to time deems appropriate.

     BNY Mellon and its affiliates may have deposit, loan and commercial banking or other relationships with the issuers of securities purchased by the Fund. The Manager has informed management of the Company that in making its investment decisions it does not obtain or use material inside information that BNY Mellon or its affiliates may possess with respect to such issuers.

     The Company, the Manager and the Distributor each have adopted a Code of Ethics that permits its personnel, subject to such Code of Ethics, to investment in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. The Code of Ethics subjects the personal securities transactions of the Manager’s employees to various restrictions to ensure that such trading does not disadvantage any Fund advised by the Manager. In that regard, portfolio managers and other investment personnel of the Manager must preclear and report their personal securities transactions and holdings, which are reviewed for compliance with the Code of Ethics and are also subject to the oversight of BNY Mellon’s Investment Ethics Committee (the “Committee”). Portfolio managers and other investment personnel who comply with the preclearance and disclosure procedures of the Code of Ethics, and the requirements of the Committee, may be permitted to purchase, sell or hold securities which also may be or are held in fund(s) they manage or for which they otherwise provide investment advice.

     Portfolio Management. The Manager provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio of investments in accordance with the stated policies of the Fund, subject to the approval of the Company’s Board. The Manager also maintains a research department with a professional staff of portfolio managers and securities analysts who provide research services for the Fund and for other funds advised by the Manager. The Manager is responsible for investment decisions, and provides the Fund with portfolio managers who are authorized by the Board to execute purchases and sales of securities. The Fund’s portfolio managers are D. Kirk Henry, Clifford A. Smith, Carolyn Kedersha, Michelle V. Chan; C. Warren Skillman and Parameswari Roychoudhury. The portfolio managers are dual employees of Dreyfus and The Boston Company Assets Management, LLC (“TBCAM”), an affiliate of the Manager.

     Portfolio Manager Compensation. The portfolio manager’s cash compensation is comprised primarily of a market-based salary and incentive compensation (annual and long term retention incentive awards). The portfolio managers are compensated by TBCAM and not by Dreyfus or the Fund. Funding for the TBCAM Annual Incentive Plan and Long Term Retention Incentive Plan is through a pre-determined fixed percentage of overall TBCAM profitability. In general, bonus awards are based initially on TBCAM's financial performance. However, awards for select senior portfolio managers are based initially on their individual investment performance (one-, three-, and five-year weighted). In addition, awards for portfolio managers who manage alternative investment strategies are partially based on a portion of such fund's realized performance fee. The portfolio managers are eligible to receive annual cash bonus awards from the Annual Incentive Plan. Annual incentive opportunities are pre-established for each individual, based upon competitive industry compensation benchmarks. A significant portion of the opportunity awarded is based upon the one-, three-, and five-year (three- and five-year weighted more heavily) pre-tax performance of the portfolio manager's accounts relative to the performance of the appropriate Lipper and Callan peer groups. Other factors considered in determining the award are individual qualitative performance and the asset size and revenue growth or retention of the products managed. Awards are generally subject to management discretion and pool funding availability. Awards are paid in cash on an annual basis. However, some portfolio managers may receive a portion of their annual incentive award in deferred vehicles.

     For research analysts and other investment professionals, incentive pools are distributed to the respective product teams (in the aggregate) based upon product performance relative to TBCAM-wide performance measured on the same basis as described above. Further allocations are made to specific team members by the product portfolio manager based upon sector contribution and other qualitative factors.

     All portfolio managers and analysts are also eligible to participate in the TBCAM Long Term Retention Incentive Plan. This plan provides for an annual award, payable in cash and/or BNY Mellon restricted stock (three-year cliff vesting period for both). The value of the cash portion of the award earns interest during the vesting period based upon the growth in TBCAM’s net income (capped at 20% and with a minimum payout of the BNY Mellon three-year CD rate).

     Additional Information About the Portfolio Managers. The following table lists the number and types of other accounts advised by the primary portfolio manager and assets under management in those accounts as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal year:

	Registered
	Investment
Portfolio	Company	Assets	Pooled	Assets	Other	Assets
Manager	Accounts	Managed	Accounts	Managed	Accounts	Managed
D. Kirk Henry	9	$5.93b	11	$4.11b	46	$8.67b

The advisory fees for one of the registered investment company accounts, which have total assets of approximately $315 million, are based on the performance of the respective account.

The dollar range of Fund shares beneficially owned by the primary portfolio manager is as follows as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal year:

Portfolio Manager	Dollar Range of Fund Shares Beneficially Owned
D. Kirk Henry	$10,001-$50,000

      Portfolio managers may manage multiple accounts for a diverse client base, including mutual funds, separate accounts (assets managed on behalf of institutions such as pension funds, insurance companies and foundations), bank common trust accounts and wrap fee programs (“Other Accounts”).

     Potential conflicts of interest may arise because of Dreyfus’ management of the Fund and Other Accounts. For example, conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of limited investment opportunities, as Dreyfus may be perceived as causing accounts it manages to participate in an offering to increase Dreyfus’ overall allocation of securities in that offering, or to increase Dreyfus’ ability to participate in future offerings by the same underwriter or issuer. Allocations of bunched trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially filled due to limited availability, and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest, as Dreyfus may have an incentive to allocate securities that are expected to increase in value to preferred accounts. Initial public offerings, in particular, are frequently of very limited availability. Additionally, portfolio managers may be perceived to have a conflict of interest if there are a large number of Other Accounts, in addition to the Fund, that they are managing on behalf of Dreyfus. Dreyfus periodically reviews each portfolio manager’s overall responsibilities to ensure that he or she is able to allocate the necessary time and resources to effectively manage the Fund. In addition, Dreyfus could be viewed as having a conflict of interest to the extent that Dreyfus or its affiliates and/or portfolio managers have a materially larger investment in Other Accounts than their investment in the Fund.

     Other Accounts may have investment objectives, strategies and risks that differ from those of the Fund. For these or other reasons, the portfolio manager may purchase different securities for the Fund and the Other Accounts, and the performance of securities purchased for the Fund may vary from the performance of securities purchased for Other Accounts. The portfolio manager may place transactions on behalf of Other Accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made for the Fund, which could have the potential to adversely impact the Fund, depending on market conditions.

     A potential conflict of interest may be perceived to arise if transactions in one account closely follow related transactions in another account, such as when a purchase increases the value of securities previously purchased by the other account, or when a sale in one account lowers the sale price received in a sale by a second account.

     Conflicts of interest similar to those described above arise when portfolio managers are employed by a sub-investment adviser or are dual employees of the Manager and an affiliate entity and such portfolio managers also manage Other Accounts.

     Dreyfus’ goal is to provide high quality investment services to all of its clients, while meeting Dreyfus’ fiduciary obligation to treat all clients fairly. Dreyfus has adopted and implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, that it believes address the conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients. In addition, Dreyfus monitors a variety of areas, including compliance with Fund guidelines, the allocation of IPOs, and compliance with Dreyfus’ Code of Ethics. Furthermore, senior investment and business personnel at Dreyfus periodically review the performance of the portfolio managers for Dreyfus-managed funds.

     Expenses. All expenses incurred in the operation of the Company, with respect to the Fund, are borne by the Company, except to the extent specifically assumed by the Manager. The expenses borne by the Company, with respect to the Fund, include: taxes, interest, loan commitment fees, interest and distributions paid on securities sold short, brokerage fees and commissions, if any, fees of Board members who are not officers, directors, employees or holders of 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Manager or any of its affiliates, SEC fees, state Blue Sky qualification fees, advisory fees, charges of custodians, transfer and dividend disbursing agents’ fees, certain insurance premiums, industry association fees, outside auditing and legal expenses, costs of maintaining the Company’s existence, costs of independent pricing services, costs attributable to investor services (including, without limitation, telephone and personnel expenses), costs of preparing and printing prospectuses and statements of additional information for regulatory purposes and for distribution to existing shareholders, costs of shareholders’ reports and meetings, and any extraordinary expenses. In addition, each class of shares bears any class specific expenses allocated to such class, such as expenses related to the distribution and/or shareholder servicing of such class. Class B, Class C and Class T shares of the Fund are subject to an annual distribution fee, and Class A, Class B, Class C and Class T shares of the Fund are subject to an annual shareholder services fee. See “Distribution Plan and Shareholder Services Plan.”

     As compensation for the Manager’s services to the Company, the Company has agreed to pay the Manager a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 1.25% of the value of the Fund’s average daily net assets. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before declaration of dividends to shareholders. For the fiscal years ended May 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008, the management fees paid by the Fund amounted to $17,132,880, $17,362,548 and $17,727,235, respectively.

     The Manager has agreed that if in any fiscal year the aggregate expenses of the Fund, exclusive of taxes, brokerage, interest on borrowings and (with the prior written consent of the necessary state securities commissions) extraordinary expenses, but including the management fee, exceed the expense limitation of any state having jurisdiction over the Fund, the Fund may deduct from the payment to be made to the Manager under the Agreement, or the Manager will bear, such excess expense. Such deduction or payment, if any, will be estimated daily, and reconciled and effected or paid, as the case may be, on a monthly basis.

     The aggregate of the fees payable to the Manager is not subject to reduction as the value of the Fund’s net assets increases.

     Distributor. The Distributor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manager, located at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166, serves as the Fund’s distributor on a best efforts basis pursuant to an agreement with the Company which is renewable annually. The Distributor also acts as distributor for the other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds, BNY Mellon Funds Trust and Mellon Institutional Funds. Before June 30, 2007, the Distributor was known as “Dreyfus Service Corporation.”

     The Distributor compensates Service Agents for selling Class A shares and Class T shares subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) and Class C shares at the time of purchase from its own assets. The Distributor also compensated certain Service Agents for selling Class B shares at the time of purchase from its own assets when the Fund offered Class B shares; the Fund no longer offers Class B shares except in connection with dividend reinvestment and permitted exchanges. The proceeds of the CDSC and fees pursuant to the Company’s Distribution Plan (described below), in part, are used to defray the expenses incurred by the Distributor in connection with the sale of the applicable Class of Fund shares. The Distributor also may act as a Service Agent and retain sales loads and CDSCs and Distribution Plan fees. For purchases of Class A shares and Class T shares subject to a CDSC, the Distributor generally will pay Service Agents on new investments made through such Service Agents a commission of up to 1% of the amount invested. The Distributor generally will pay Service Agents 1% on new investments of Class C shares made through such Service Agents, and generally paid Service Agents 4% on new investments of Class B shares made through such Service Agents, of the net asset value of such shares purchased by their clients. With respect to Class B shares subject to a CDSC or Distribution Plan issued to shareholders in exchange for shares originally issued by a series of The Bear Stearns Funds (the “Acquired Fund”), the proceeds of any CDSC and fees pursuant to the Distribution Plan with respect to such Class B shares are payable to the Acquired Fund’s former distributor to defray the expenses it incurred in connection with the sale of such shares when originally issued by the Acquired Fund.

      The amounts retained on the sale of the Fund’s shares by the Distributor from sales loads and from CDSCs, as applicable, with respect to the Fund’s Class A, Class B, Class C and Class T shares, for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008 were:

	2008	2007		2006
Class A	$ 4,705	$5,127	$46,012
Class B	$ 6,706	$7,671	$7,458
Class C	$304	$72	$466
Class T	$0	$0	$0

     The Distributor may pay Service Agents that have entered into agreements with the Distributor a fee based on the amount invested through such Service Agents in Fund shares by employees participating in qualified or non-qualified employee benefit plans, including pension, profit-sharing and other deferred compensation plans, whether established by corporations, partnerships, non-profit entities, trade or labor unions, or state and local governments (“Retirement Plans”), or other programs. The term “Retirement Plans” does not include IRAs, IRA “Rollover Accounts” or IRAs set up under Simplified Employee Pension Plans (“SEP-IRAs”). Generally, the Distributor may pay such Service Agents a fee of up to 1% of the amount invested through the Service Agents. The Distributor, however, may pay Service Agents a higher fee and reserves the right to cease paying these fees at any time. The Distributor will pay such fees from its own funds, other than amounts received from the Fund, including past profits or any other source available to it. Sponsors of such Retirement Plans or the participants therein should consult their Service Agent for more information regarding any such fee payable to the Service Agent.

      The Manager or the Distributor may provide additional cash payments out of its own resources to financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund or provide other services. Such payments are separate from any sales charges, 12b-1 fees and/or shareholder services fees or other expenses paid by the Fund to the intermediaries. Because those payments are not made by you or the Fund, the Fund’s expenses ratio will not be affected by any such payments. These additional payments may be made to Service Agents, including affiliates, that provide shareholder servicing, sub-administration, recordkeeping and/or sub-transfer agency services, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the Service Agent. Cash compensation also may be paid from the Manager’s or the Distributor’s own resources to Service Agents for inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list or in other sales programs. These payments sometimes are referred to as “revenue sharing.” From time to time, the Manager or the Distributor also may provide cash or non-cash compensation to Service Agents in the form of: occasional gifts; occasional meals, tickets, or other entertainment; support for due diligence trips; educational conference sponsorship; support for recognition programs; and other forms of cash or non-cash compensation permissible under broker-dealer regulations. In some cases, these payments or compensation may create an incentive for a Service Agent to recommended or sell shares of the Fund to you. Please contact your Service Agent for details about any payments it may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to the Fund.

     Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent and Custodian. Dreyfus Transfer, Inc. (the “Transfer Agent”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manager, located at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166, is the Fund’s transfer and dividend disbursing agent. Under a transfer agency agreement with the Company, the Transfer Agent arranges for the maintenance of shareholder account records for the Fund, the handling of certain communications between shareholders and the Fund and the payment of dividends and distributions payable by the Fund. For these services, the Transfer Agent receives a monthly fee computed on the basis of the number of shareholder accounts it maintains for the Fund during the month, and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

     The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Custodian”), an affiliate of the Manager, located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, is the Fund’s custodian. The Custodian has no

part in determining the investment policies of the Fund or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund. Under a custody agreement with the Company, the Custodian holds the Fund’s securities and keeps all necessary accounts and records. For its custody services, the Custodian receives a monthly fee based on the market value of the Fund’s assets held in custody and receives certain securities transaction charges.

HOW TO BUY SHARES

     General. Class A shares, Class C shares and Class T shares may be purchased only by clients of certain Service Agents, including the Distributor. Subsequent purchases may be sent directly to the Transfer Agent or your Service Agent. You will be charged a fee if an investment check is returned unpayable. Stock certificates are issued only upon your written request. No certificates are issued for fractional shares.

     The Company reserves the right to reject any purchase order. The Fund will not establish an account for a “foreign financial institution,” as that term is defined in Department of the Treasury rules implementing section 312 of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. Foreign financial institutions include: foreign banks (including foreign branches of U.S. depository institutions); foreign offices of U.S. securities broker-dealers, futures commission merchants, and mutual funds; non-U.S. entities that, if they were located in the United States, would be securities broker-dealers, futures commission merchants or mutual funds; and non-U.S. entities engaged in the business of a currency dealer or exchanger or a money transmitter.

     As of June 1, 2006 (the “Effective Date”), Class B shares of the Fund are offered only in connection with dividend reinvestment and exchanges of Class B shares of certain other funds advised by Dreyfus or by Founders Asset Management, LLC (“Founders”), an indirect subsidiary of Dreyfus, or shares of Dreyfus Worldwide Dollar Money Market Fund, Inc. (“Worldwide Dollar Fund”) held in an Exchange Account (as defined under “Shareholder Services--Fund Exchanges”) as a result of a previous exchange of Class B shares. No new or subsequent investments, including thorough automatic investment plans, are allowed in Class B shares of the Fund, except through dividend reinvestment or permitted exchanges. If you hold Class B shares and make a subsequent investment in Fund shares, unless you specify the Class of shares you wish to purchase, such subsequent investment will be made in Class A shares and will be subject to any applicable sales load. For Class B shares outstanding on the Effective Date and Class B shares acquired upon reinvestment of dividends, all Class B share attributes, including associated CDSC schedules, conversion to Class A features and Distribution Plan and Shareholder Services Plan fees, will continue in effect.

     Class I shares are offered only to (i) bank trust departments, trust companies and insurance companies that have entered into agreements with the Distributor to offer Class I shares to their clients, (ii)institutional investors acting in a fiduciary, advisory, agency, custodial or similar capacity for Retirement Plans and SEP-IRAs (Class I shares may be purchased for a Retirement Plan or SEP-IRA only by a custodian, trustee, investment manager or other entity authorized to act on behalf of such Retirement Plan or SEP-IRA that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Class I shares to such Retirement Plan or SEP-IRA), (iii) law firms or attorneys acting as trustees or executors/administrators, (iv) foundations and endowments that make an initial investment in the Fund of at least $1 million, (v) sponsors of

college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that maintain an omnibus account with the Fund and do not require shareholder tax reporting or 529 account support responsibilities from the Distributor, (vi) advisory fee-based accounts offered through financial intermediaries who, depending on the structure of the selected advisory platform, make Class I shares available, and (vii) certain funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. Institutions effecting transactions in Class I shares for the accounts of their clients may charge their clients direct fees in connection with such transactions. In addition, holders of Class I shares of the Fund who have held their shares since June 5, 2003 may continue to purchase Class I shares of the Fund for their existing accounts whether or not they would otherwise be eligible to do so. Institutions effecting transactions in Class I shares for the accounts of their clients may charge their clients direct fees in connection with such transactions.

     When purchasing Fund shares, you must specify which Class is being purchased. Your Service Agent can help you choose the share class that is appropriate for your investment. The decision as to which Class of shares is most beneficial to you depends on a number of factors, including the amount and the intended length of our investment in the Fund. Please refer to the Fund’s Prospectus for a further discussion of those factors.

     In many cases, neither the Distributor nor the Transfer Agent will have the information necessary to determine whether a quantity discount or reduced sales charge is applicable to a purchase. You or your Service Agent must notify the Distributor whenever a quantity discount or reduced sales charge is applicable to a purchase and must provide the Distributor with sufficient information at the time of purchase to verify that each purchase qualifies for the privilege or discount.

     Service Agents may receive different levels of compensation for selling different Classes of shares. Management understands that some Service Agents may impose certain conditions on their clients which are different from those described in the Fund’s Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information, and, to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authority, may charge their clients direct fees. As discussed under “Management Arrangements-Distributor,” Service Agents may receive revenue sharing payments from the Manager or the Distributor. The receipt of such payments could create an incentive for a Service Agent to recommend or sell shares of the Fund instead of other mutual funds where such payments are not received. Please contact your Service Agent for details about any payments it may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to the Fund.

     For Class A, C, I and T shares of the Fund, the minimum initial investment is $1,000. Subsequent investments must be at least $100. However, the minimum initial investment is $750 for Dreyfus-sponsored Keogh Plans, IRAs (including regular IRAs, spousal IRAs for a non-working spouse, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs and rollover IRAs) and 403(b)(7) Plans with only one participant and $500 for Dreyfus-sponsored Education Savings Accounts, with no minimum for subsequent purchases. The initial investment must be accompanied by the Account Application. The Company reserves the right to offer Fund shares without regard to minimum purchase requirements to employees participating in certain Retirement Plans or other programs where contributions or account information can be transmitted in a manner and form acceptable to the Company. Fund shares are offered without regard to the minimum initial or subsequent

investment amount requirements to investors purchasing Fund shares through wrap fee accounts or other fee-based programs. The Company reserves the right to vary further the initial and subsequent investment minimum requirements at any time.

     The minimum initial investment through an exchange for Class B shares of the Fund is $1,000. Subsequent exchanges for Class B shares of the Fund must be at least $500.

     The Code imposes various limitations on the amount that may be contributed to certain Retirement Plans. These limitations apply with respect to participants at the plan level and, therefore, do not directly affect the amount that may be invested in the Fund by a Retirement Plan. Participants and plan sponsors should consult their tax advisers for details.

     Class A, C, I and T shares also may be purchased through Dreyfus-Automatic Asset Builder®, Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit Privilege and Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan described under “Shareholder Services.” These services enable you to make regularly scheduled investments and may provide you with a convenient way to invest for long-term financial goals. You should be aware, however, that periodic investment plans do not guarantee a profit and will not protect an investor against loss in a declining market.

     Fund shares are sold on a continuous basis. Net asset value per share of each Class is determined as of the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (usually 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular business. For purposes of determining net asset value, certain options and futures contracts may be valued 15 minutes after the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Net asset value per share of each Class is computed by dividing the value of the Fund’s net assets represented by such Class (i.e., the value of its assets less liabilities) by the total number of shares of such Class outstanding. For information regarding the methods employed in valuing the Fund’s investments, see “Determination of Net Asset Value.”

     If an order is received in proper form by the Transfer Agent or other entity authorized to receive orders on behalf of the Fund by the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (usually 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on a regular business day, Fund shares will be purchased at the public offering price determined as of the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on that day. Otherwise, Fund shares will be purchased at the public offering price determined as of the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on the next regular business day, except where shares are purchased through a dealer as provided below.

     Orders for the purchase of Fund shares received by dealers by the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on any business day and transmitted to the Distributor or its designee by the close of its business day (usually 5:15 p.m., Eastern time) will be based on the public offering price per share determined as of the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on that day. Otherwise, the orders will be based on the next determined public offering price. It is the dealer’s responsibility to transmit orders so that they will be received by the Distributor or its designee before the close of its business day. For certain institutions that have entered into agreements with the Distributor, payment for the purchase of Fund shares may be transmitted, and must be received by the Transfer Agent, within three business days after the

order is placed. If such payment is not received within three business days after the order is placed, the order may be canceled and the institution could be held liable for resulting fees and/or losses.

     Class A Shares. The public offering price for Class A shares is the net asset value per share of Class A plus, except for shareholders beneficially owning Class A shares of the Fund on November 14, 2002, a sales load as shown below:

	Total Sales Load*—Class A Shares
			Dealers’
			reallowance
	As a % of	As a % of	as a % of
	offering price	net asset value	offering
Amount of Transaction	per share	per share	price
Less than $50,000	5.75	6.10	5.00
$50,000 to less than $100,000	4.50	4.70	3.75
$100,000 to less than $250,000	3.50	3.60	2.75
$250,000 to less than $500,000	2.50	2.60	2.25
$500,000 to less than $1,000,000	2.00	2.00	1.75
$1,000,000 or more	-0-	-0-	-0-

* Due to rounding, the actual sales load you pay may be more or less than that calculated using these percentages.

     For shareholders of the Fund who beneficially owned Class A shares of the Fund on November 14, 2002, the public offering price for Class A shares of the Fund is the net asset value per share of that Class.

     Class A shares purchased without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more will be assessed at the time of redemption a 1% CDSC if redeemed within one year of purchase. A CDSC will not be assessed such Class A shares purchased by a shareholder of the Fund who beneficially owned shares of the Fund on November 14, 2002. The Distributor may pay Service Agents an up-front commission of up to 1% of the net asset value of Class A shares purchased by their clients as part of a $1,000,000 or more investment in Class A shares that are subject to a CDSC. See “Management Arrangements—Distributor.”

     Class B Shares. Class B shares of the Fund are offered only in connection with dividend reinvestment and permitted exchanges of Class B shares of certain other funds. The public offering price for such Class B shares is the net asset value per share of that Class. No initial sales charge is imposed at the time of dividend reinvestment or exchange. A CDSC is imposed, however, on certain redemptions of Class B shares as described in the Prospectus and in this Statement of Additional Information under “How to Redeem Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge—Class B Shares.”

     Approximately six years after the date of purchase, Class B shares automatically will convert to Class A shares, based on the relative net asset values for shares of each such Class.

Class B shares of the Fund that have been acquired through the reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and distributions will be converted on a pro rata basis together with other Class B shares, in the proportion that a shareholder’s Class B shares converting to Class A shares bears to the total Class B shares held by the shareholder, excluding shares acquired through the reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and distributions.

     Class B shares of the Fund acquired by shareholders in exchange for Class B shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund before December 1, 2003 are subject to different CDSC and conversion to Class A schedules. See “How to Redeem Shares--Contingent Deferred Sales Charge--Class B Shares.”

     Class C Shares. The public offering price for Class C Shares is the net asset value per share of that Class. No initial sales charge is imposed at the time of purchase. A CDSC is imposed, however, on redemptions of Class C shares made within the first year of purchase. See “How to Redeem Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge—Class C Shares.”

     Class I Shares. The public offering price for Class I shares is the net asset value per share of that Class.

     Class T Shares. The public offering price for Class T shares is the net asset value per share of that Class plus a sales load as shown below:

	Total Sales Load*—Class T Shares
			Dealers’
			reallowance
	As a % of	As a % of	as a % of
	offering price	net asset value	offering
Amount of Transaction	per share	per share	price
Less than $50,000	4.50	4.70	4.00
$50,000 to less than $100,000	4.00	4.20	3.50
$100,000 to less than $250,000	3.00	3.10	2.50
$250,000 to less than $500,000	2.00	2.00	1.75
$500,000 to less than $1,000,000	1.50	1.50	1.25
$1,000,000 or more	-0-	-0-	-0-

* Due to rounding, the actual sales load you pay may be more or less than that calculated using these percentages.

     Class T shares purchased without an initial shares as part of an investment of at least $1,000,000 will be assessed at the time of redemption a 1% CDSC if redeemed within one year of purchase. The Distributor may pay Service Agents an amount up to 1% of the net asset value of Class T shares purchased by their clients that are subject to a CDSC. See “Management

Arrangements--Distributor.” Because the expenses associated with Class A shares will be lower than those associated with Class T shares, purchasers investing $1,000,000 or more in the Fund generally will find it beneficial to purchase Class A shares rather than Class T shares.

     Dealer Reallowance – Class A and Class T Shares. The dealer reallowance provided with respect to Class A and Class T shares may be changed from time to time but will remain the same for all dealers. The Distributor, at its own expense, may provide additional promotional incentives to dealers that sell shares of funds advised by the Manager which are sold with a sales load, such as Class A and Class T shares. In some instances, these incentives may be offered only to certain dealers who have sold or may sell significant amounts of such shares. See “Management Arrangements – Distributor”.

     Class A or Class T Shares Offered at Net Asset Value. Full-time employees of FINRA member firms and full-time employees of other financial institutions which have entered into an agreement with the Distributor pertaining to the sale of Fund shares (or which otherwise have a brokerage related or clearing arrangement with a FINRA member firm or financial institution with respect to the sale of such shares) may purchase Class A shares for themselves directly or pursuant to an employee benefit plan or other program, or for their spouses or minor children, at net asset value without a sales load, provided they have furnished the Distributor with such information as it may request from time to time in order to verify eligibility for this privilege. This privilege also applies to full-time employees of financial institutions affiliated with FINRA member firms whose full-time employees are eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value. In addition, Class A shares are offered at net asset value to full-time or part-time employees of the Manager or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries, directors of the Manager, Board members of a fund advised by the Manager, including members of the Company’s Board, or the spouse or minor child of any of the foregoing.

     Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value, without a sales load, through certain broker-dealers and other financial institutions which have entered into an agreement with the Distributor, which includes a requirement that such shares be sold for the benefit of clients participating in a “wrap account” or a similar program under which such clients pay a fee to such broker-dealer or other financial institution.

     Class A shares also may be purchased at net asset value, without a sales load, subject to appropriate documentation, by (i) qualified separate accounts maintained by an insurance company pursuant to the laws of any State or territory of the United States, (ii) a State, county or city or instrumentality thereof, (iii) a charitable organization (as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code) investing $50,000 or more in Fund shares, and (iv) a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code).

     Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value, without a sales load, by qualified investors who (i) purchase Class A shares directly through the Distributor, and (ii) have, or whose spouse or minor children have, beneficially owned shares and continuously maintained an open account directly through the Distributor in a Dreyfus-managed fund, including the Fund, or a Founders-managed fund since on or before February 28, 2006.

     Class A shares may be purchased a net asset value, without a sales load, with the cash proceeds from an investor’s exercise of employment-related stock options, whether invested in the Fund directly or indirectly through an exchange from a Dreyfus-managed money market fund, provided that the proceeds are processed through an entity that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor specifically relating to processing stock options. Upon establishing the account in the Fund or Dreyfus-managed money market fund, the investor and the investor’s spouse or minor children become eligible to purchase Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, whether or not using the proceeds of the employment-related stock options.

     Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value, without a sales load, by members of qualified affinity groups who purchase Class A shares directly through the Distributor, provided that the qualified affinity group has entered into an affinity agreement with the Distributor.

     Class A and Class T shares are offered at net asset value, without a sales load, to employees participating in Retirement Plans. Class A and Class T shares also may be purchased (including by exchange) at net asset value without a sales load for Dreyfus-sponsored IRA “Rollover Accounts” with the distribution proceeds from a Retirement Plan or a Dreyfus-sponsored 403(b) (7) plan, provided that, in case of a Retirement Plan, the rollover is processed through an entity that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor specifically relating to processing of rollovers. Upon establishing the Rollover Account in the Fund, the shareholder becomes eligible to make subsequent purchases of Class A or Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value in such account.

     Sales Load - Class A and Class T Shares. The scale of sales loads applies to purchases of Class A or Class T shares made by any “purchaser,” which term includes an individual and/or spouse purchasing securities for his, her or their own account or for the account of any minor children, or a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing securities for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account (including a pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit trust created pursuant to a plan qualified under Section 401 of the Code) although more than one beneficiary is involved; or a group of accounts established by or on behalf of the employees of an employer or affiliated employers pursuant to an employee benefit plan or other program (including accounts established pursuant to Sections 403(b), 408(k), and 457 of the Code); or an organized group which has been in existence for more than six months, provided that it is not organized for the purpose of buying redeemable securities of a registered investment company and provided that the purchases are made through a central administration or a single dealer, or by other means which result in economy of sales effort or expense.

     Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Fund’s Class A and Class T shares. The example assumes a purchase of Class A or Class T shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000, subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth above at a price based upon the net asset value of the Fund’s shares on May 31, 2008. Actual offering price may differ from the offering price listed in the table.

	Class A	Class T
Net Asset Value per Share	$19.45	$19.02
Per Share Sales Charge
Class A – 5.75% of offering price
(6.10% of net asset value per share)
	$ 1.19
Class T – 4.50% of offering price
(4.70% of net asset value per share)
		$ 0.90
Per Share Offering Price to
the Public	$20.64	$19.92

     Right of Accumulation--Class A and Class T Shares. Reduced sales loads apply to any purchase of Class A and Class T shares by you and any related “purchaser” as defined above, where the aggregate investment, including such purchase, is $50,000 or more. If, for example, you previously purchased and still hold shares of the Fund or share of certain other funds advised by the Manager or Founders or shares of certain Mellon Institutional Funds, that are subject to a front-end sales load or a CDSC or shares acquired by a previous exchange of such shares (hereinafter referred to as “Eligible Funds”), or combination thereof, with an aggregate current market value of $40,000 and subsequently purchase Class A or Class T shares of the Fund having a current value of $20,000, the sales load applicable to the subsequent purchase would be reduced to 4.5% of the offering price in the case of Class A or 4.0% of the offering price in the case of Class T shares. All present holdings of Eligible Funds may be combined to determine the current offering price of the aggregate investment in ascertaining the sales load applicable to each subsequent purchase.

     To qualify for reduced sales loads, at the time of purchase you or your Service Agent must notify the Distributor if orders are made by wire, or the Transfer Agent if orders are made by mail. The reduced sales load is subject to confirmation of your holdings through a check of appropriate records.

     Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. You may purchase Class A, C, I or T shares by telephone or online if you have checked the appropriate box and supplied the necessary information on the Account Application or have filed a Shareholder Services Form with the Transfer Agent. The proceeds will be transferred between the bank account designated in one of these documents and your Fund account. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic financial institution which is an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) member may be so designated.

     Dreyfus TeleTransfer purchase orders may be made at any time. If purchase orders are received by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on any day the Transfer Agent and the New York Stock Exchange are open for regular business, Fund shares will be purchased at the public offering price determined on that day. If purchase orders are made after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on any

day the Transfer Agent and the New York Stock Exchange are open for regular business, or made on Saturday, Sunday or any Fund holiday (e.g., when the New York Stock Exchange is not open for business), Fund shares will be purchased at the public offering price determined on the next bank business day following such purchase order. To qualify to use the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege, the initial payment for purchase of shares must be drawn on, and redemption proceeds paid to, the same bank and account as are designated on the Account Application or Shareholder Services Form on file. If the proceeds of a particular redemption are to be sent to an account at any other bank, the request must be in writing and signature-guaranteed. See “How to Redeem Shares--Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege.”

     Reopening an Account. You may reopen an account with a minimum investment of $100 without filing a new Account Application during the calendar year the account is closed or during the following calendar year, provided the information on the old Account Application is still applicable.

DISTRIBUTION PLAN AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICES PLAN

     Class B, Class C and Class T shares are subject to a Distribution Plan, and Class A, Class B, Class C and Class T shares are subject to a Shareholder Services Plan.

     Distribution Plan. Rule 12b-1 (the “Rule”) adopted by the SEC under the 1940 Act provides, among other things, that an investment company may bear expenses of distributing its shares only pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with the Rule. The Company’s Board has adopted such a plan (the “Distribution Plan”) with respect to the Fund’s Class B, Class C and Class T shares pursuant to which the Fund pays the Distributor for distributing such shares at an annual rate of 0.75% of the value of the average daily net assets of Class B and Class C shares and 0.25% of the value of the average daily net assets of Class T shares. The Distributor may pay one or more Service Agents in respect of advertising, marketing and other distribution services, and determines the amounts, if any, to be paid to Service Agents and the basis on which such payments are made. The Company’s Board believes that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Distribution Plan will benefit the Fund and the holders of its Class B, Class C and Class T shares.

     A quarterly report of the amounts expended under the Distribution Plan, and the purposes for which such expenditures were incurred, must be made to the Board for its review. In addition, the Distribution Plan provides that it may not be amended to increase materially the costs which holders of the Fund’s Class B, Class C or Class T shares may bear pursuant to the Distribution Plan without the approval of the holders of such shares and that other material amendments of the Distribution Plan must be approved by the Company’s Board, and by the Board members who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan or in any agreements entered into in connection with the Distribution Plan, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. The Distribution Plan is subject to annual approval by such vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Distribution Plan. As to the relevant Class of shares, the Distribution Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Board members who are not “interested persons” and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan or in any

agreements entered into in connection with the Distribution Plan or by vote of the holders of a majority of such Class of shares.

     For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008, the Fund’s Class B, Class C and Class T paid the Distributor, pursuant to the Distribution Plan, $29,041, $65,574 and $204, respectively.

     Shareholder Services Plan. The Company has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan with respect to the Fund, pursuant to which the Fund pays the Distributor for the provision of certain services to the holders of the Fund’s Class A, Class B, Class C and Class T shares at an annual rate of 0.25% of the value of the average daily net assets of such shares. The services provided may include personal services relating to shareholder accounts, such as answering shareholder inquiries regarding the Fund and providing reports and other information, and services related to the maintenance of such shareholder accounts. Under the Shareholder Services Plan, the Distributor may make payments to certain Service Agents in respect of these services.

     A quarterly report of the amounts expended under the Shareholder Services Plan, and the purposes for which such expenditures were incurred, must be made to the Board for its review. In addition, the Shareholder Services Plan provides that material amendments must be approved by the Company’s Board, and by the Board members who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Shareholder Services Plan or in any agreements entered into in connection with the Shareholder Services Plan, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. The Shareholder Services Plan is subject to annual approval by such vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Shareholder Services Plan. As to the relevant Class of shares, the Shareholder Services Plan is terminable at any time by vote of a majority of the Board members who are not “interested persons” and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Shareholder Services Plan or in any agreements entered into in connection with the Shareholder Services Plan.

     For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008 the Fund’s Class A, Class B, Class C and Class T paid the Distributor, pursuant to the Shareholders Services Plan, $2,714,506, $9,680, $21,858 and $204, respectively.

HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

     General. The Fund ordinarily will make payment for all shares redeemed within seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in proper form, except as provided by the rules of the SEC. However, if you have purchased Fund shares by check, by Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege or through Dreyfus-Automatic Asset Builder^® and subsequently submit a written redemption request to the Transfer Agent, the Fund may delay sending the redemption proceeds for up to eight business days after the purchase of such shares. In addition, the Fund will reject requests to redeem shares by wire or telephone, online or pursuant to the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege for a period of up to eight business days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of the purchase check, the Dreyfus TeleTransfer purchase or the Dreyfus-Automatic Asset Builder order against which such redemption is requested. These procedures will not apply if your shares were purchased by wire payment, or if you otherwise have a

sufficient collected balance in your account to cover the redemption request. Fund shares may not be redeemed until the Transfer Agent has received your Account Application.

     If you hold shares of more than one Class of the Fund, any request for redemption must specify the Class of shares being redeemed. If you fail to specify the Class of shares to be redeemed or if you own fewer shares of the Class than specified to be redeemed, the redemption request may be delayed until the Transfer Agent receives further instructions from you or your Service Agent.

     Redemption Fee. Subject to the exceptions described in the Fund's Prospectus, shares held for less than the 60 day holding period will be subject to the Fund's redemption fee, whether held directly in your name or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or any other third party. If you hold your shares through an intermediary's omnibus account, the intermediary is responsible for imposing the fee and remitting the fee to the Fund.

      The redemption fee will be charged and retained by the Fund on shares sold before the end of the required holding period. The Fund will use the "first-in, first-out" method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, shares held the longest will be redeemed or exchanged first. The holding period commences on the day after your purchase order is effective. For example, the holding period for shares purchased on April 10 (trade date) begins on April 11 and ends 59 days later on June 8. Thus, if you redeemed these shares on June 8, you would be assessed the fee, but you would not be assessed the fee if you redeemed on or after June 9.

      The redemption fee generally is collected by deduction from the redemption proceeds, but may be imposed by billing you if the fee is not imposed as part of the redemption transaction. The Fund may postpone the effective date of the assessment of the redemption fee on the underlying shareholder accounts within an omnibus account if an intermediary is unable to collect the Fund's redemption fee.

      The Fund may impose the redemption fee at the plan level for employee benefit plans that hold shares on behalf of a limited number of employees. Plan sponsors of such benefit plans that opt to impose redemption fees at the employee account level, rather than the plan level, must enter into agreements with Dreyfus that obligate the sponsor to collect and remit redemption fees at the employee level and to provide to the Fund, at its request, shareholder identity and transaction information.

      The Fund's Prospectus contains information on transactions for which the redemption fee is waived. The Fund reserves the right to exempt additional transactions from the fee.

     The Fund did not retain any redemption fees for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008.

     Contingent Deferred Sales Charge--Class B Shares. A CDSC payable to the Distributor is imposed on any redemption of Class B shares which reduces the current net asset value of your Class B shares to an amount which is lower than the dollar amount of all payments by you for the purchase of Class B shares of the Fund held by you at the time of redemption. No CDSC

will be imposed to the extent that the net asset value of Class B shares of the Fund redeemed does not exceed (i) the current net asset value of Class B shares of the Fund acquired through reinvestment of Fund dividends or capital gain distributions, plus (ii) increases in the net asset value of your Class B shares above the dollar amount of all your payments for the purchase of Class B shares of the Fund held by you at the time of redemption.

     If the aggregate value of Class B shares redeemed has declined below their original cost as a result of the Fund’s performance, a CDSC may be applied to the then-current net asset value rather than the purchase price.

     In circumstances where the CDSC is imposed, the amount of the charge will depend on the number of years from the time you purchased the Class B shares until the time of redemption of such shares. Solely for purposes of determining the number of years from the time of any payment for the purchase of Class B shares, all payments during a month will be aggregated and deemed to have been made on the first day of the month.

     The following table sets forth the rates of the CDSC and the conversion to Class A schedule for Class B shares, except for certain Class B shares issued in exchange for shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund described below:

	CDSC as a % of Amount
Year Since	Invested or Redemption
Purchase Payment	Proceeds
Was Made	(whichever is less)
First ………………………………………………	4.00
Second …………………………………………….	4.00
Third ………………………………………………	3.00
Fourth ……………………………………………	3.00
Fifth ……………………………………………….	2.00
Sixth ………………………………………………	1.00 *

*	These Class B shares will automatically convert into Class A shares approximately six years after the date
	of purchase.

    The following table sets forth the rates of the CDSC payable to the Acquired Fund’s former distributor and the conversion to Class A schedule for Class B shares of the Fund issued in exchange for Class B shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund before December 1, 2003:

	CDSC as a % of Amount
Year Since	Invested or Redemption
Purchase Payment	Proceeds
Was Made	(whichever is less)
First ………………………………………………	5.00
Second …………………………………………….	4.00
Third ………………………………………………	3.00
Fourth ……………………………………………	3.00
Fifth ……………………………………………….	2.00
Sixth ………………………………………………	1.00
Seventh……………………………………………	0.00
Eighth………………………………………………	0.00**

**	These Class B shares will automatically convert into Class A shares at the end of the calendar quarter
	that is eight years after the initial purchase of the Class B shares of the Acquired Fund (applies to such
	Class B shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund before December 1, 2003).

     In determining whether a CDSC is applicable to a redemption, the calculation will be made in a manner that results in the lowest possible rate. It will be assumed that the redemption is made first of amounts representing Class B shares of the Fund acquired pursuant to the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions; then of amounts representing the increase in net asset value of Class B shares above the total amount of payments for the purchase of Class B shares made during the preceding six years (or eight years for certain shares issued in exchange for shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund); and finally, of amounts representing the cost of shares held for the longest period.

     For example, assume an investor purchased 100 shares of the Fund at $10 per share for a cost of $1,000. Subsequently, the shareholder acquired five additional Fund shares through the reinvestment of Fund dividends. During the second year after the purchase the investor decided to redeem $500 of the investment. Assuming at the time of the redemption the net asset value had appreciated to $12 per share, the value of the investor’s shares would be $1,260 (105 shares at $12 per share). The CDSC would not be applied to the value of the reinvested dividend shares and the amount which represents appreciation ($260). Therefore, $240 of the $500 redemption proceeds ($500 minus $260) would be charged at a rate of 4% (the applicable rate in the second year after purchase) for a total CDSC of $9.60.

     Contingent Deferred Sales Charge--Class C Shares. A CDSC of 1% payable to the Distributor is imposed on any redemption of Class C shares within one year of the date of purchase. The basis for calculating the payment of any such CDSC will be the method used in calculating the CDSC for Class B shares. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge--Class B Shares” above.

     Waiver of CDSC. The CDSC may be waived in connection with (a) redemptions made within one year after the death or disability, as defined in Section 72(m)(7) of the Code, of the shareholder, (b) redemptions by employees participating in Retirement Plans, (c) redemptions as a result of a combination of any investment company with the Fund by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise, (d) a distribution following retirement under a tax-deferred retirement plan or upon attaining age 70½ in the case of an IRA or Keogh plan or custodial account pursuant to Section 403(b) of the Code, and (e) redemptions pursuant to the Automatic Withdrawal Plan, as described below. If the Company’s Board determines to discontinue the waiver of the CDSC, the disclosure herein will be revised appropriately. Any Fund shares subject to a CDSC which were purchased prior to the termination of such waiver will have the CDSC waived as provided in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information at the time of the purchase of such shares.

     To qualify for a waiver of the CDSC, at the time of redemption you or your Service Agent must notify the Distributor. Any such qualification is subject to confirmation of your entitlement.

     Redemption Through a Selected Dealer. If you are a customer of a Selected Dealer, you may make redemption requests to your Selected Dealer. If the Selected Dealer transmits the redemption request so that it is received by the Transfer Agent prior to the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (usually 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), the redemption request will be effective on that day. If a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent after the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, the redemption request will be effective on the next business day. It is the responsibility of the Selected Dealer to transmit a request so that it is received in a timely manner. The proceeds of the redemption are credited to your account with the Selected Dealer. See “How to Buy Shares” for a discussion of additional conditions or fees that may be imposed upon redemption.

     In addition, the Distributor or its designee will accept orders from Selected Dealers with which the Distributor has sales agreements for the repurchase of shares held by shareholders. Repurchase orders received by dealers by the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on any business day and transmitted to the Distributor or its designee prior to the close of its business day (usually 5:15 p.m., Eastern time), are effected at the price determined as of the close of trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on that day. Otherwise, the shares will be redeemed at the next determined net asset value. It is the responsibility of the Selected Dealer to transmit orders on a timely basis. The Selected Dealer may charge the shareholder a fee for executing the order. This repurchase arrangement is discretionary and may be withdrawn at any time.

     Reinvestment Privilege. Upon written request, you may reinvest up to the number of Class A or Class T shares you have redeemed, within 45 days of redemption, at the then-prevailing net asset value without a sales load, or reinstate your account for the purpose of exercising Fund Exchanges. Upon reinstatement, if such shares were subject to a CDSC, your account will be credited with an amount equal to the CDSC previously paid upon redemption of the shares reinvested. The Reinvestment Privilege may be exercised only once.

     Wire Redemption Privilege. By using this Privilege, you authorize the Transfer Agent to act on telephone, letter or online redemption instructions from any person representing himself or herself to be you or a representative of your Service Agent and reasonably believed by the Transfer Agent to be genuine. Ordinarily, the Company will initiate payment for shares redeemed pursuant to this Privilege on the next business day after receipt by the Transfer Agent of the redemption request in proper form. Redemption proceeds ($1,000 minimum) will be transferred by Federal Reserve wire only to the commercial bank account specified by you on the Account Application or Shareholder Services Form, or to a correspondent bank if your bank is not a member of the Federal Reserve System. Fees ordinarily are imposed by such bank and borne by the investor. Immediate notification by the correspondent bank to your bank is necessary to avoid a delay in crediting the funds to your bank account.

     To change the commercial bank or account designated to receive redemption proceeds, a written request must be sent to the Transfer Agent. This request must be signed by each shareholder, with each signature guaranteed as described below under “Stock Certificates; Signatures.”

     Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. You may request by telephone or online that redemption proceeds be transferred between your Fund account and your bank account. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic financial institution which is an ACH member may be designated. Redemption proceeds will be on deposit in your account at an ACH member bank ordinarily two business days after receipt of the redemption request. You should be aware that if you have selected the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege, any request for a Dreyfus TeleTransfer transaction will be effected through the ACH system unless more prompt transmittal specifically is requested. Shares held in an IRA or Eduction Savings Account may not be redeemed through the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. See “How to Buy Shares--Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege.”

     Stock Certificates; Signatures. Any certificates representing Fund shares to be redeemed must be submitted with the redemption request. A fee may be imposed to replace lost or stolen certificates, or certificates that were never received. Written redemption requests must be signed by each shareholder, including each holder of a joint account, and each signature must be guaranteed. Signatures on endorsed certificates submitted for redemption also must be guaranteed. The Transfer Agent has adopted standards and procedures pursuant to which signature-guarantees in proper form generally will be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program, the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”) and the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program. Guarantees must be signed by an authorized signatory of the guarantor and “Signature-Guaranteed” must appear with the signature. The Transfer Agent may request additional documentation from corporations, executors, administrators, trustees or guardians, and may accept other suitable verification arrangements from foreign investors, such as consular verification.

     Redemption Commitment. The Company has committed itself to pay in cash all redemption requests by any shareholder of record of the Fund, limited in amount during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of the Fund’s net assets at the beginning of such period. Such commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the

SEC. In the case of requests for redemption from the Fund, in excess of such amount, the Board reserves the right to make payments in whole or part in securities or other assets of the Fund in case of an emergency or any time a cash distribution would impair the liquidity of the Fund to the detriment of the existing shareholders. In such event, the securities would be valued in the same manner as the Fund’s portfolio is valued. If the recipient sells such securities, brokerage charges would be incurred.

     Suspension of Redemptions. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (a) during any period when the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund ordinarily utilizes is restricted, or when an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that disposal of the Fund’s investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for such other periods as the SEC by order may permit to protect the Fund’s shareholders.

SHAREHOLDER SERVICES

     Fund Exchanges. You may purchase, in exchange for shares of the Fund, shares of the same class of another fund in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, shares of the same class of certain funds advised by Founders, shares of the same class of certain Mellon Institutional Funds or shares of certain other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds, and, with respect to Class T shares of the Fund, Class A shares of certain fixed-income funds in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, to the extent such shares are offered for sale in your state of residence. A 2% redemption fee will be charged upon an exchange of Fund shares where the exchange occurs less than 60 days following the issuance of such shares. Shares of other funds purchased by exchange will be purchased on the basis of relative net asset value per share, as follows:

A.	Exchanges for shares of funds offered without a sales load will be made without a sales load.
B.	Shares of funds purchased without a sales load may be exchanged for shares of other funds sold with a sales load, and the applicable sales load will be deducted.
C.	Shares of funds purchased with a sales load may be exchanged without a sales load for shares of other funds sold without a sales load.
D.	Shares of funds purchased with a sales load, shares of funds acquired by a previous exchange from shares purchased with a sales load, and additional shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions of any such funds (collectively referred to herein as “Purchased Shares”) may be exchanged for shares of other funds sold with a sales load (referred to herein as “Offered Shares”), but if the sales load applicable to the Offered Shares exceeds the maximum sales load that could have been imposed in connection with the Purchased Shares (at the time the Purchased Shares were required), without giving effect to any reduced loads, the difference may be deducted.
E.	Shares of funds subject to a CDSC exchanged for shares of another fund will be subject to the higher applicable CDSC of the two funds, and for purposes of calculating CDSC rates and conversion periods, if any, will be deemed to have been held since the date the shares being exchanged were initially purchased.

     To accomplish an exchange under item D above, you or your Service Agent acting on your behalf must notify the Transfer Agent of your prior ownership of fund shares and your account number.

     As of the Effective Date, you also may exchange your Class B shares for Class B shares of General Money Market Fund, Inc. (the “General Fund”), a money market fund advised by the Manager. The shares so purchased will be held in a special account created solely for this purpose (“Exchange Account”). Exchanges of shares from an Exchange Account only can be made into Class B shares of funds in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds or certain funds advised by Founders. No CDSC is charged when an investor exchanges into an Exchange Account; however, the applicable CDSC will be imposed when shares are redeemed from an Exchange Account or other applicable fund account. Upon redemption, the applicable CDSC will be calculated taking into account the time such shares were held in the General Fund’s Exchange Account. In addition, the time Class B shares are held in the General Fund’s Exchange Account will be taken into account for purposes of calculating when such shares convert to Class A shares. If your Class B shares are held in the General Fund’s Exchange Account at the time such shares are scheduled to convert to Class A shares, you will receive Class A shares of the General Fund. Prior to the Effective Date, shareholders were permitted to exchange their Class B shares for shares of Worldwide Dollar Fund, and such shares were held in an Exchange Account. Shareholders who held shares of Worldwide Dollar Fund in an Exchange Account on the Effective Date may continue to hold those shares and upon redemption from the Exchange Account or other applicable fund account, the applicable CDSC and conversion to Class A schedule will be calculated, except for Fund shares issued in exchange for shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund, without regard to the time such shares were held in Worldwide Dollar Fund’s Exchange Account; for Fund shares issued in exchange for shares originally issued by the Acquired Fund, the applicable CDSC and conversion to Class A schedule will be calculated taking into account the time such shares were held in the Worldwide Dollar Fund’s Exchange Account. Exchanges of shares from an Exchange Account in Worldwide Dollar Fund only can be made into Class B shares of funds in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, certain of funds advised by Founders and the General Fund. See “How to Redeem Shares.” Redemption proceeds for Exchange Account shares are paid by Federal wire or check only. Exchange Account shares also are eligible for the Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege and the Automatic Withdrawal Plan, as described below.

     To request an exchange, you or your Service Agent acting on your behalf must give exchange instructions to the Transfer Agent in writing, by telephone or online. The ability to issue exchange instructions by telephone or online is given to all Fund shareholders automatically, unless you check the applicable “No” box on the Account Application, indicating that you specifically refuse this privilege. By using this privilege, you authorize the Transfer Agent to act on telephonic and online instructions (including over the Dreyfus Express^® voice response telephone system) from any person representing himself or herself to be you or a representative of your Service Agent, and reasonably believed by the Transfer Agent to be genuine. Exchanges may be subject to limitations as to the amount involved or number of exchanges permitted. Shares issued in certificate form are not eligible for telephone or online

exchange. No fees currently are charged shareholders directly in connection with exchanges, although the Company reserves the right, upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, to charge shareholders a nominal administrative fee in accordance with rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     To establish a personal retirement plan by exchange, shares of the fund being exchanged must have a value of at least the minimum initial investment required for the fund into which the exchange is being made.

     Exchanges of Class I shares held by a Retirement Plan may be made only between the investor’s Retirement Plan account in one fund and such investor’s Retirement Plan account in another fund.

     During times of drastic economic or market conditions, the Company may suspend Fund Exchanges temporarily without notice and treat exchange requests based on their separate components--redemption orders with a simultaneous request to purchase the other fund’s shares. In such a case, the redemption request would be processed at the Fund’s next determined net asset value but the purchase order would be effective only at the net asset value next determined after the fund being purchased receives the proceeds of the redemption, which may result in the purchase being delayed.

     Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege. Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege permits you to purchase (on a semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis), in exchange for shares of the Fund, shares of the same Class of a fund in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, shares of the same Class of certain funds advised by Founders, shares of the same class of certain Mellon Institutional Funds, or shares of certain other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds, and, with respect to Class T shares of the Fund, Class A shares of certain fixed-income funds in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, of which you are a shareholder (including, for Class B shares, Class B shares of the General Fund held in an Exchange Account). This Privilege is available only for existing accounts. With respect to Class R shares held by a Retirement Plan, exchanges may be made only between the investor’s Retirement Plan account in one fund and such investor’s Retirement Plan account in another fund. Shares will be exchanged on the basis of relative net asset value as described above under “Fund Exchanges.” Enrollment in or modification or cancellation of this Privilege is effective three business days following notification by you. You will be notified if your account falls below the amount designated to be exchanged under this Privilege. In this case, your account will fall to zero unless additional investments are made in excess of the designated amount prior to the next Auto-Exchange transaction. Shares held under IRA and other retirement plans are eligible for this Privilege. Exchanges of IRA shares may be made between IRA accounts and from regular accounts to IRA accounts, but not from IRA accounts to regular accounts. With respect to all other retirement accounts, exchanges may be made only among those accounts.

     Shareholder Services Forms and prospectuses of the other funds may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561, or visiting www.dreyfus.com. The Company reserves the right to reject any exchange request in whole or in part. Shares may be exchanged only between accounts having certain identical identifying designations. The Fund Exchanges service or the Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time upon notice to shareholders.

     Dreyfus-Automatic Asset Builder^®. Dreyfus-Automatic Asset Builder permits you to purchase Class A, C, I or T shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $150,000 per transaction) at regular intervals selected by you. Fund shares are purchased by transferring funds from the bank account designated by you.

     Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit Privilege. Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit Privilege enables you to purchase Class A, C, I or T shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $50,000 per transaction) by having Federal salary, Social Security, or certain veterans’ military or other payments from the U.S. Government automatically deposited into your Fund account.

     Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan permits you to purchase Class A, C, I or T shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically on a regular basis. Depending upon your employer’s direct deposit program, you may have part or all of your paycheck transferred to your existing Dreyfus account electronically through the ACH system at each pay period. To establish a Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan account, you must file an authorization form with your employer’s payroll department. It is the sole responsibility of your employer to arrange for transactions under the Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan.

     Dreyfus Dividend Options. Dreyfus Dividend Sweep allows you to invest automatically your dividends or dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, from Class A, C, I or T shares of the Fund in shares of the same Class of another fund in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, shares of the same Class of certain funds advised by Founders, shares of the same class of certain Mellon Institutional Funds, or shares of certain other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds and, with respect to Class T shares of the Fund, in Class A shares of certain fixed-income funds in the Dreyfus Premier Family of Funds, of which you are a shareholder. Shares of the same Class of other funds purchased pursuant to this privilege will be purchased on the basis of relative net asset value per share as follows:

A.	Dividends and distributions paid by a fund may be invested without a sales load in shares of other funds offered without a sales load.
B.	Dividends and distributions paid by a fund that does not charge a sales load may be invested in shares of other funds sold with a sales load, and the applicable sales load will be deducted.
C.	Dividends and distributions paid by a fund that charges a sales load may be invested in shares of other funds sold with a sales load (referred to herein as “Offered Shares”), but if the sales load applicable to the Offered Shares exceeds the maximum sales load charged by the fund from which dividends or distributions are being swept (without giving effect to any reduced loads), the difference may be deducted.
D.	Dividends and distributions paid by a fund may be invested in shares of other funds that impose a CDSC and the applicable CDSC, if any, will be imposed upon redemption of such shares.

     Dreyfus Dividend ACH permits you to transfer electronically dividends or dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, from the Fund to a designated bank account. Only an account

maintained at a domestic financial institution which is an ACH member may be so designated. Banks may charge a fee for this service.

     Dreyfus Automatic Withdrawal Plan. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits you to request withdrawal of a specified dollar amount (minimum of $50) on either a monthly or quarterly basis if you have a $5,000 minimum account. Withdrawal payments are the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, not the yield on the shares. If withdrawal payments exceed reinvested dividends and distributions, your shares will be reduced and eventually may be depleted. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be established by filing an Automatic Withdrawal Plan application with the Transfer Agent or by oral request from any of the authorized signatories on the account by calling 1-800-554-4611. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by you, the Fund or the Transfer Agent. Shares for which stock certificates have been issued may not be redeemed through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.

     No CDSC with respect to Class B shares (including Class B shares held in an Exchange Account) or Class C shares of the Fund will be imposed on withdrawals made under the Automatic Withdrawal Plan, provided that any amount withdrawn under the plan does not exceed on an annual basis 12% of the greater of (1) the account value at the time of the first withdrawal under the Automatic Withdrawal Plan, or (2) the account value at the time of the subsequent withdrawal. Withdrawals with respect to Class B and Class C shares under the Automatic Withdrawal Plan that exceed such amounts will be subject to a CDSC. Withdrawals of Class A and Class T shares subject to a CDSC under the Automatic Withdrawal Plan will be subject to any applicable CDSC. Purchases of additional Class A and Class T shares where the sales load is imposed concurrently with withdrawals of Class A and Class T shares generally are undesirable.

     Certain Retirement Plans, including Dreyfus-sponsored retirement plans, may permit certain participants to establish an automatic withdrawal plan from such Retirement Plans. Participants should consult their Retirement Plan sponsor and tax adviser for details. Such a withdrawal plan is different than the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.

     Letter of Intent--Class A and Class T Shares. By signing a Letter of Intent form, you become eligible for the reduced sales load on purchases of Class A and Class T shares based on the total number of shares of Eligible Funds (as defined under “Right of Accumulation” above) purchased by you and any related “purchaser” (as defined above) in a 13-month period pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Letter of Intent. Shares of any Eligible Fund purchased within 90 days prior to the submission of the Letter of Intent may be used to equal or exceed the amount specified in the Letter of Intent. A minimum initial purchase of $5,000 is required. You can obtain a Letter of Intent form by calling 1-800-554-4611.

     Each purchase you make during the 13-month period (which begins on the date you submit the Letter of Intent) will be at the public offering price applicable to a single transaction of the aggregate dollar amount you select in the Letter of Intent. The Transfer Agent will hold in escrow 5% of the amount indicated in the Letter of Intent which may be used for payment of a higher sales load if you do not purchase the full amount indicated in the Letter of Intent. When you fulfill the terms of the Letter of Intent by purchasing the specified amount the escrowed amount will be released and additional shares representing such amount credited to your account.

If your purchases meet the total minimum investment amount specified in the Letter of Intent within the 13-month period, an adjustment will be made at the conclusion of the 13-month period to reflect any reduced sales load applicable to shares purchased during the 90-day period prior to submission of the Letter of Intent. If your purchases qualify for a further sales load reduction, the sales load will be adjusted to reflect your total purchase at the end of 13 months. If total purchases are less than the amount specified, the offering price of the shares you purchased (including shares representing the escrowed amount) during the 13-month period will be adjusted to reflect the sales load applicable to the aggregate purchases you actually made (which will reduce the number of shares in your account), unless you have redeemed the shares in your account, in which case the Transfer Agent, as attorney-in-fact pursuant to the terms of the Letter of Intent, will redeem an appropriate number of Class A or Class T shares of the Fund held in escrow to realize the difference between the sales load actually paid and the sales load applicable to the aggregate purchases actually made and any remaining shares will be credited to your account. Signing a Letter of Intent does not bind you to purchase, or the Fund to sell, the full amount indicated at the sales load in effect at the time of signing, but you must complete the intended purchase to obtain the reduced sales load. At the time you purchase Class A or Class T shares, you must indicate your intention to do so under a Letter of Intent. Purchases pursuant to a Letter of Intent will be made at the then-current net asset value plus the applicable sales load in effect at the time such Letter of Intent was submitted.

     Corporate Pension/Profit-Sharing and Retirement Plans. The Company makes available to corporations a variety of prototype pension and profit-sharing plans, including a 401(k) Salary Reduction Plan. In addition, the Company makes available Keogh Plans, IRAs (including regular IRAs, spousal IRAs for a non-working spouse, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, and rollover IRAs), Education Savings Accounts and 403(b)(7) Plans. Plan support services also are available.

     If you wish to purchase Fund shares in conjunction with a Keogh Plan, a 403(b) (7) Plan or an IRA, including a SEP-IRA or Education Savings Accounts, you may request from the Distributor forms for adoption of such plans.

     The entity acting as custodian for Keogh Plans, 403(b)(7) Plans or IRAs may charge a fee, payment of which could require the liquidation of shares. All fees charged are described in the appropriate form.

     Shares may be purchased in connection with these plans only by direct remittance to theentity acting as custodian. Purchases for these plans may not be made in advance of receipt offunds.

     You should read the prototype retirement plan and the appropriate form of custodial agreement for further details on eligibility, service fees and tax implications, and should consult a tax adviser.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

     Valuation of Portfolio Securities. The Fund’s investments are valued on the basis of market quotations or official closing prices. The Fund’s portfolio securities, including covered call options written by the Fund, are valued at the last sale price on the securities exchange or national securities market on which such securities primarily are traded. Securities traded on Nasdaq generally will be valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price. Securities not listed on an exchange or national securities market, or securities in which there were no transactions, are valued at the average of the most recent bid and asked prices, except in the case of open short positions where the asked price is used for valuation purposes. Bid price is used when no asked price is available. Any assets or liabilities initially expressed in terms of foreign currency will be translated into U.S. dollars at the midpoint of the New York interbank market spot exchange rate as quoted on the day of such translation by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or, if no such rate is quoted on such date, such other quoted market exchange rate as may be determined to be appropriate by the Manager. Forward currency contracts will be valued at the current cost of offsetting the contract. Because of the need to obtain prices as of the close of trading on various exchanges throughout the world, the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value may not take place contemporaneously with the determination of prices of a majority of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Short-term investments may be carried at amortized cost, which approximates value. Expenses and fees, including the management fee and fees pursuant to the Distribution Plan and Shareholder Services Plan, are accrued daily and taken into account for the purpose of determining the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Because of the differences in operating expenses incurred by each Class of the Fund, the per share net asset value of each Class of shares of the Fund will differ.

     Restricted securities, as well as securities or other assets for which recent market quotations or official closing prices are not readily available or are determined by the Fund not to reflect accurately fair value (such as when the value of a security has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (for example, a foreign exchange or market) but before the Fund calculates its NAV), are valued at fair value as determined in good faith based on procedures approved by the Board. Fair value of investments may be determined by the Company’s Board, its pricing committee or its valuation committee in good faith using such information as it deems appropriate. The factors that may be considered when fair valuing a security include fundamental analytical data, the nature and duration of restrictions on disposition, an evaluation of the forces that influence the market in which the securities are purchased or sold, and public trading in similar securities of the issuer or comparable issuers. Fair value of foreign equity securities may be determined with the assistance of a pricing service using correlations between the movement of prices of foreign securities and indices of domestic securities and other appropriate indicators, such as closing market prices of relevant ADRs and futures contracts. The valuation of a security based on fair value procedures may differ from the security’s most recent closing price, and from the prices used by other mutual funds to calculate their net asset values. Foreign securities held by the Fund may trade on days that the Fund is not open for business, thus affecting the value of the Fund’s assets on days when Fund investors have no access to the Fund. Restricted securities which are, or are convertible into, securities of the same class of other securities for which a public market exists usually will be valued at such market value less the same percentage discount at which the restricted securities were purchased. This discount will be revised by the Board, if the Board members believe that it no longer reflects the value of the restricted securities. Restricted securities not of the same class as securities for which a public market

exists usually will be valued initially at cost. Any subsequent adjustment from cost will be based upon considerations deemed relevant by the Company’s Board.

     New York Stock Exchange Closings. The holidays (as observed) on which the New York Stock Exchange is closed currently are: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

     Management believes that the Fund has qualified for treatment as a “regulated investment company” under the Code for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008. The Fund intends to continue to so qualify if such qualification is in the best interests of its shareholders. As a regulated investment company, the Fund will pay no Federal income tax on net investment income and net realized securities gains to the extent such income and gains are distributed to shareholders in accordance with applicable provisions of the Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must at least 90% of its net income (consisting of net investment income and net short-term capital gain), and must meet certain asset diversification and other requirements. If the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, it will be treated for tax purposes as an ordinary corporation subject to Federal income tax. The term “regulated investment company” does not imply the supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any government agency.

     If you elect to receive dividends and distributions in cash, and your dividend or distribution check is returned to the Fund as undeliverable or remains uncashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest such dividends or distributions and all future dividends and distributions payable to you in additional Fund shares at net asset value. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption checks.

     Any dividend or distribution paid shortly after an investor’s purchase may have the effect of reducing the aggregate net asset value of the shares below the cost of the investment. Such a dividend or distribution would be a return of capital in an economic sense, although taxable as described in the Fund’s Prospectus. In addition, the Code provides that if a shareholder holds Fund shares for six months or less and has received a capital gain distribution with respect to such shares, any loss incurred on the sale of such shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain distribution received.

     The Fund may qualify for and make an election under which shareholders may be eligible to claim a credit or deduction on their Federal income tax returns for, and will be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them, their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid or incurred by the Fund to foreign countries. The Fund may make such election provided that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of the taxable year consists of securities in foreign corporations, and the Fund satisfies the applicable distribution requirements. The foreign tax credit available to shareholders is subject to certain limitations.

     Investment income that may be received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign taxes withheld at the source. Tax conventions between

certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund satisfies the 90% distribution requirement and more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the Fund may elect to "pass through" to its shareholders the amount of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If the Fund so elects, each shareholder would be required to include in gross income, even though not actually received, his or her pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund, but would be treated as having paid his or her pro rata share of such foreign taxes and therefore would be allowed to either deduct such amount in computing taxable income or use such amount (subject to various Code limitations) as a foreign tax credit against Federal income tax (but not both). For purposes of the foreign tax credit limitation rules of the Code, each shareholder would treat as foreign source income his or her pro rata share of such foreign taxes plus the portion of dividends received from the Fund representing income derived from foreign sources. No deduction for foreign taxes could be claimed by an individual shareholder who does not itemize deductions. In certain circumstances, a shareholder that (i) has held Fund shares for less than a specified minimum period during which it is not protected from risk of loss, (ii) is obligated to make payments related to the dividends or (iii) holds Fund shares in arrangements in which the shareholder's expected economic profits after non-U.S. taxes are insubstantial, will not be allowed a foreign tax credit for foreign taxes deemed imposed on dividends paid on such shares. Additionally, the Fund also must meet this holding period requirement with respect to its foreign stock and securities in order for "creditable" taxes to flow-through. Each shareholder should consult his or her own tax adviser regarding the potential application of foreign tax credits.

     Ordinarily, gains and losses realized from portfolio transactions will be treated as capital gains and losses. However, a portion of the gain or loss realized from the disposition of foreign currencies and non-U.S. dollar denominated securities (including debt instruments and certain forward contracts and options) may be treated as ordinary income or loss. In addition, all or a portion of any gains realized from the sale or other disposition of certain market discount bonds will be treated as ordinary income. Finally, all or a portion of the gain realized from engaging in “conversion transactions” (generally including certain transactions designed to convert ordinary income into capital gain) may be treated as ordinary income.

     Gain or loss, if any, realized by the Fund from certain financial futures, forward contracts and options transactions (“Section 1256 contracts”) will be treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Gain or loss will arise upon exercise or lapse of Section 1256 contracts as well as from closing transactions. In addition, any Section 1256 contracts remaining unexercised at the end of the Fund’s taxable year will be treated as sold for their then fair market value, resulting in additional gain or loss to the Fund.

     Offsetting positions held by the Fund involving certain futures or forward contracts or options transactions with respect to actively traded personal property may be considered, for tax purposes, to constitute “straddles.” To the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by the Fund, losses realized by the Fund may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in the offsetting position. In addition, short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gains on straddle positions may be treated as short-term capital gains or ordinary income. Certain of the straddle positions held by the Fund may constitute “mixed straddles.” The Fund may make one or more elections with

respect to the treatment of “mixed straddles,” resulting in different tax consequences. In certain circumstances, the provisions governing the tax treatment of straddles override or modify certain of the provisions discussed above.

     If the Fund either (1) holds an appreciated financial position with respect to stock, certain debt obligations, or partnership interests (“appreciated financial position”) and then enters into short sale, futures or forward contract, or offsetting notional principal contract (collectively, a “Contract”) with respect to the same or substantially identical property or (2) holds an appreciated financial position that is a Contract and then acquires property that is the same as, or substantially identical to, the underlying property, the Fund generally will be taxed as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date the Fund enters into the financial position or acquires the property, respectively.

     If the Fund invests in an entity that is classified as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) for Federal income tax purposes, the operation of certain provisions of the Code applying to PFICs could result in the imposition of certain Federal income taxes on the Fund. In addition, gain realized from the sale or other disposition of PFIC securities held beyond the end of the Fund’s taxable year may be treated as ordinary income.

     Investment by the Fund in securities issued or acquired at a discount, or providing for deferred interest or for payment of interest in the form of additional obligations could under special tax rules affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders by causing the Fund to recognize income prior to the receipt of cash payments. For example, the Fund could be required to accrue a portion of the discount (or deemed discount) at which the securities were issued each year and to distribute such income in order to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company. In such case, the Fund may have to dispose of securities which it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements.

     Federal regulations require that you provide a certified taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) upon opening or reopening an account. See the Account Application for further information concerning this requirement. Failure to furnish a certified TIN to the Company could subject you to a $50 penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

     General. The Manager assumes general supervision over the placement of securities purchase and sale orders on behalf of the funds it manages. Funds managed by dual employees of the Manager and an affiliated entity, and funds with a sub-investment adviser, execute portfolio transactions through the trading desk of the affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser, as applicable (the “Trading Desk”). Those funds use the research facilities, and are subject to the internal policies and procedures, of applicable affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser.

     The Trading Desk generally has the authority to select brokers (for equity securities) or dealers (for fixed income securities) and the commission rates or spreads to be paid. Allocation of brokerage transactions is made in the best judgment of the Trading Desk and in a manner deemed fair and reasonable. In choosing brokers or dealers, the Trading Desk evaluates the

ability of the broker or dealer to execute the transaction at the best combination of price and quality of execution.

     In general, brokers or dealers involved in the execution of portfolio transactions on behalf of a fund are selected on the basis of their professional capability and the value and quality of their services. The Trading Desk attempts to obtain best execution for the funds by choosing brokers or dealers to execute transactions based on a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) price; (ii) liquidity; (iii) the nature and character of the relevant market for the security to be purchased or sold; (iv) the quality and efficiency of the broker’s or dealer’s execution; (v) the broker’s or dealer’s willingness to commit capital; (vi) the reliability of the broker or dealer in trade settlement and clearance; (vii) the level of counter-party risk (i.e., the broker’s or dealer’s financial condition); (viii) the commission rate or the spread; (ix) the value of research provided; (x) the availability of electronic trade entry and reporting links; and (xi) the size and type of order (e.g., foreign or domestic security, large block, illiquid security). In selecting brokers or dealers no factor is necessarily determinative; however, at various times and for various reasons, certain factors will be more important than others in determining which broker or dealer to use. Seeking to obtain best execution for all trades takes precedence over all other considerations.

     Investment decisions for one fund or account are made independently from those for other funds or accounts managed by the portfolio managers. Under the Trading Desk’s procedures, portfolio managers and their corresponding Trading Desks may seek to aggregate (or “bunch”) orders that are placed or received concurrently for more than one fund or account. In some cases, this policy may adversely affect the price paid or received by a fund or an account, or the size of the position obtained or liquidated. As noted above, certain brokers or dealers may be selected because of their ability to handle special executions such as those involving large block trades or broad distributions, provided that the primary consideration of best execution is met. Generally, when trades are aggregated, each fund or account within the block will receive the same price and commission. However, random allocations of aggregate transactions may be made to minimize custodial transaction costs. In addition, at the close of the trading day, when reasonable and practicable, the completed securities of partially filled orders will generally be allocated to each participating fund and account in the proportion that each order bears to the total of all orders (subject to rounding to “round lot” amounts and other relevant factors).

     Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year as well as within a year. In periods in which extraordinary market conditions prevail, the portfolio managers will not be deterred from changing a Fund’s investment strategy as rapidly as needed, in which case higher turnover rates can be anticipated which would result in greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid is evaluated by the Trading Desk based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. Higher portfolio turnover rates usually generate additional brokerage commissions and transaction costs, and any short-term gains realized from these transactions are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

     To the extent that a fund invests in foreign securities, certain of such fund’s transactions in those securities may not benefit from the negotiated commission rates available to funds for transactions in securities of domestic issuers. For funds that permit foreign exchange

transactions, such transactions are made with banks or institutions in the interbank market at prices reflecting a mark-up or mark-down and/or commission.

     The portfolio managers may deem it appropriate for one fund or account they manage to sell a security while another fund or account they manage is purchasing the same security. Under such circumstances, the portfolio managers may arrange to have the purchase and sale transactions effected directly between the funds and/or accounts (“cross transactions”). Cross transactions will be effected in accordance with procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act.

     Funds and accounts managed by the Manager, an affiliated entity or a sub-investment adviser may own significant positions in portfolio companies which, depending on market conditions, may affect adversely the ability to dispose of some or all of such positions.

     For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008, the amounts paid by the Fund for brokerage commissions, were as follows:

Fiscal Year Ended	Commissions
2008	$4,178,623
2007	$4,007,019
2006	$3,670,255

     The reason for the difference between the aggregate dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid in 2008 and the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid in either or both of the prior fiscal years, primarily was due to increased trading activity.

     For the fiscal years ended May 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008, there were no gross spreads or concessions paid on principal transactions.

     The Fund contemplates that, consistent with the policy of seeking best price and execution, brokerage transactions may be conducted through affiliates of the Manager. The Board has adopted procedures in conformity with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act to ensure that all brokerage commissions paid to affiliates of the Manager are reasonable and fair. There were no commissions paid to affiliates of the Manager for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008.

     Soft Dollars. The term “soft dollars” is commonly understood to refer to arrangements where an investment adviser uses client (or fund) brokerage commissions to pay for research and other services to be used by the investment adviser. Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 provides a “safe harbor” that permits investment advisers to enter into soft dollar arrangements if the investment adviser determines in good faith that the amount of the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. Eligible products and services under Section 28(e) include those that provide lawful and appropriate assistance to the investment adviser in the performance of its investment decision-making responsibilities.

     Subject to the policy of seeking best execution, Dreyfus-managed funds may execute transactions with brokerage firms that provide research services and products, as defined in Section 28(e). Any and all research products and services received in connection with brokerage

commissions will be used to assist the applicable affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser in its investment decision-making responsibilities, as contemplated under Section 28(e). Under certain conditions, higher brokerage commissions may be paid in connection with certain transactions in return for research products and services.

     The products and services provided under these arrangements permit the Trading Desk to supplement its own research and analysis activities, and provide it with information from individuals and research staffs of many securities firms. Such services and products may include, but are not limited to the following: fundamental research reports (which may discuss, among other things, the value of securities, or the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, or the availability of securities or the purchasers or sellers of securities, or issuers, industries, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and performance); current market data and news; technical and portfolio analyses; economic forecasting and interest rate projections; and historical information on securities and companies. The Trading Desk also may defray the costs of certain services and communication systems that facilitate trade execution (such as online quotation systems, direct data feeds from stock exchanges and on-line trading systems with brokerage commissions generated by client transactions) or functions related thereto (such as clearance and settlement). Some of the research products or services received by the Trading Desk may have both a research function and a non-research administrative function (a “mixed use”). If the Trading Desk determines that any research product or service has a mixed use, the Trading Desk will allocate in good faith the cost of such service or product accordingly. The portion of the product or service that the Trading Desk determines will assist it in the investment decision-making process may be paid for in soft dollars. The non-research portion is paid for by the Trading Desk in hard dollars.

     The Trading Desk generally considers the amount and nature of research, execution and other services provided by brokerage firms, as well as the extent to which such services are relied on, and attempts to allocate a portion of the brokerage business of its clients on the basis of that consideration. Neither the services nor the amount of brokerage given to a particular brokerage firm are made pursuant to any agreement or commitment with any of the selected firms that would bind the Trading Desk to compensate the selected brokerage firm for research provided. The Trading Desk endeavors, but is not legally obligated, to direct sufficient commissions to broker/dealers that have provided it with research and other services to ensure continued receipt of research the Trading Desk believes is useful. Actual commissions received by a brokerage firm may be more or less than the suggested allocations.

     There may be no correlation between the amount of brokerage commissions generated by a particular fund or client and the indirect benefits received by that fund or client. The affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser may receive a benefit from the research services and products that is not passed on to a fund in the form of a direct monetary benefit. Further, research services and products may be useful to the affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser in providing investment advice to any of the funds or clients it advises. Likewise, information made available to the affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser from brokerage firms effecting securities transactions for a fund may be utilized on behalf of another fund or client. Information so received is in addition to, and not in lieu of, services required to be performed by the affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser and fees are not reduced as a consequence of the receipt of such supplemental information. Although the receipt of such research services does not reduce the

normal independent research activities of the affiliated entity or sub-investment adviser, it enables them to avoid the additional expenses that might otherwise be incurred if it were to attempt to develop comparable information through its own staff.

      For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008, the Fund did not engage in any securities transactions effected on an agency basis through a broker for, among other things, research services, and the commissions and concessions related to such transactions.

     IPO Allocations. Certain funds advised by the Manager (and where applicable, a sub-adviser or Dreyfus affiliate) may participate in IPOs. In deciding whether to purchase an IPO, the Manager (and where applicable, a sub-adviser or Dreyfus affiliate) generally considers the capitalization characteristics of the security, as well as other characteristics of the security, and identifies funds and accounts with investment objectives and strategies consistent with such a purchase. Generally, as more IPOs involve small- and mid-cap companies, the funds and accounts with a small- and mid-cap focus may participate in more IPOs than funds and accounts with a large-cap focus. The Manager (and where applicable, a sub-adviser or Dreyfus affiliate), when consistent with the fund’s and/or account’s investment guidelines, generally will allocate shares of an IPO on a pro rata basis. In the case of “hot” IPOs, where the Manager (and if applicable, a sub-adviser or Dreyfus affiliate) only receives a partial allocation of the total amount requested, those shares will be distributed fairly and equitably among participating funds or accounts managed by the Manager (or where applicable, a sub-adviser or Dreyfus affiliate). “Hot” IPOs raise special allocation concerns because opportunities to invest in such issues are limited as they are often oversubscribed. The distribution of the partial allocation among funds and/or accounts will be based on relevant net asset values. Shares will be allocated on a pro rata basis to all appropriate funds and accounts, subject to a minimum allocation based on trading, custody, and other associated costs. International hot IPOs may not be allocated on a pro rata basis due transaction costs, market liquidity and other factors unique to international markets.

     Regular Broker-Dealers. The Fund may acquire securities issued by its “regular brokers or dealers,” as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act. Rule 10b-1 provides that a “regular broker or dealer” is one of the ten brokers or dealers that, during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year (i) received the greatest dollar amount of brokerage commissions from participating, either directly or indirectly, in the Fund’s portfolio transactions, (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of the Fund’s portfolio transactions or (iii) sold the largest dollar amount of the Fund’s securities. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008, the Fund did not acquire any securities issued by its regular brokers or dealers.

     Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. It is the policy of Dreyfus to protect the confidentiality of fund portfolio holdings and prevent the selective disclosure of non-public information about such holdings. Each fund, or its duly authorized service providers, may publicly disclose its portfolio holdings in accordance with regulatory requirements, such as periodic portfolio disclosure in filings with the SEC. Each non-money market fund, or its duly authorized service providers, may publicly disclose its complete schedule of portfolio holdings at month-end, with a one-month lag, at www.dreyfus.com. In addition, fifteen days following the end of each calendar quarter, each non-money market fund, or its duly authorized service providers, may publicly disclose on the website its complete schedule of portfolio holdings as of the end of such quarter. Each money market fund will disclose daily on www.dreyfus.com the fund’s complete

schedule of holdings of the end of the previous business day. The schedule of holdings will remain on the website until the date on which the fund files its Form N-Q or Form N-CSR for the period that includes the date of the posted holdings.

     If a fund’s portfolio holdings are released pursuant to an ongoing arrangement with any party, such fund must have a legitimate business purpose for doing so, and neither the fund, nor Dreyfus or its affiliates, may receive any compensation in connection with an arrangement to make available information about the fund’s portfolio holdings. Funds may distribute portfolio holdings to mutual fund evaluation services such as Standard & Poor’s, Morningstar or Lipper Analytical Services; due diligence departments of broker-dealers and wirehouses that regularly analyze the portfolio holdings of mutual funds before their public disclosure; and broker-dealers that may be used by the fund, for the purpose of efficient trading and receipt of relevant research, provided that: (a) the recipient does not distribute the portfolio holdings to persons who are likely to use the information for purposes of purchasing or selling fund shares or fund portfolio holdings before the portfolio holdings become public information; and (b) the recipient signs a written confidentiality agreement.

     Funds may also disclose any and all portfolio information to their service providers and others who generally need access to such information in the performance of their contractual duties and responsibilities and are subject to duties of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on non-public information, imposed by law and/or contract. These service providers include the fund’s custodian, registered public accounting firm, investment advisers, administrator, and each of their respective affiliates and advisers.

     Disclosure of the portfolio holdings may be authorized only by the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer, and any exceptions to this policy are reported quarterly to the Company’s Board.

SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICY, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES OF THE
DREYFUS FAMILY OF FUNDS

     The Board of each fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds has delegated to the Manager the authority to vote proxies of companies held in the fund’s portfolio. The Manager, through its participation on the BNY Mellon Proxy Policy Committee (the “PPC”), applies BNY Mellon’s Proxy Voting Policy, related procedures, and voting guidelines when voting proxies on behalf of the funds.

     The Manager recognizes that an investment adviser is a fiduciary that owes its clients, including funds it manages, a duty of utmost good faith and full and fair disclosure of all material facts. An investment adviser’s duty of loyalty requires an adviser to vote proxies in a manner consistent with the best interest of its clients and precludes the adviser from subrogating the clients’ interests to its own. In addition, an investment adviser voting proxies on behalf of a fund must do so in a manner consistent with the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.

     The Manager seeks to avoid material conflicts of interest by participating in the PPC, which applies detailed, pre-determined written proxy voting guidelines (the “Voting

Guidelines”) in an objective and consistent manner across client accounts, based on internal and external research and recommendations provided by a third party vendor, and without consideration of any client relationship factors. Further, the Manager and its affiliates engage a third party as an independent fiduciary to vote all proxies of funds managed by BNY Mellon or its affiliates (including the Dreyfus Family of Funds), the Manager may engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies of other issuers at its discretion.

     All proxies received by the funds are reviewed, categorized, analyzed and voted in accordance with the Voting Guidelines. The guidelines are reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to reflect new issues and any changes in BNY Mellon’s or the Manager’s policies on specific issues. Items that can be categorized under the Voting Guidelines are voted in accordance with any applicable guidelines or referred to the PPC, if the applicable guidelines so require. Proposals that cannot be categorized under the Voting Guidelines are referred to the PPC for discussion and vote. Additionally, the PPC reviews proposals where it has identified a particular company, industry or issue for special scrutiny. With regard to voting proxies of foreign companies, the Manager weighs the cost of voting and potential inability to sell the securities (which may occur during the voting process) against the benefit of voting the proxies to determine whether or not to vote. With respect to securities lending transactions, the Manager seeks to balance the economic benefits of continuing to participate in an open securities lending transaction against the inability to vote proxies.

     When evaluating proposals, the PPC recognizes that the management of a publicly-held company may need protection from the market’s frequent focus on short-term considerations, so as to be able to concentrate on such long-term goals as productivity and development of competitive products and services. In addition, the PPC generally supports proposals designed to provide management with short-term insulation from outside influences so as to enable them to bargain effectively with potential suitors to the extent such proposals are discrete and not bundled with other proposals. The PPC believes that a shareholder’s role in the governance of a publicly-held company is generally limited to monitoring the performance of the company and its management and voting on matters which properly come to a shareholder vote. However, the PPC generally opposes proposals designed to insulate an issuer’s management unnecessarily from the wishes of a majority of shareholders. Accordingly, the PPC generally votes in accordance with management on issues that the PPC believes neither unduly limit the rights and privileges of shareholders nor adversely affect the value of the investment.

     On questions of social responsibility where economic performance does not appear to be an issue, the PPC attempts to ensure that management reasonably responds to the social issues. Responsiveness will be measured by management’s efforts to address the particular social issue including, where appropriate, assessment of the implications of the proposal to the ongoing operations of the company. The PPC will pay particular attention to repeat issues where management has failed in its commitment in the intervening period to take actions on issues.

     In evaluating proposals regarding incentive plans and restricted stock plans, the PPC typically employs a shareholder value transfer model. This model seeks to assess the amount of shareholder equity flowing out of the company to executives as options are exercised. After determining the cost of the plan, the PPC evaluates whether the cost is reasonable based on a number of factors, including industry classification and historical performance information. The

PPC generally votes against proposals that permit the repricing or replacement of stock options without shareholder approval or that are silent on repricing and the company has a history of repricing stock options in a manner that the PPC believes is detrimental to shareholders.

     Information regarding how the Manager voted proxies for the Fund is available at www.dreyfus.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov on the Company’s Form N-PX filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND FUND

     Each Fund share has one vote and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the offering, is fully paid and non-assessable. Fund shares have no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable.

     Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act, ordinarily it will not be necessary for the Fund to hold annual meetings of shareholders. As a result, Fund shareholders may not consider each year the election of Board members or the appointment of auditors. However, the holders of at least 10% of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote may require the Fund to hold a special meeting of shareholders for purposes of removing a Board member from office. Fund shareholders may remove a Board member by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting shares. In addition, the Board will call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Board members if, at any time, less than a majority of the Board members then holding office have been elected by shareholders.

     The Company is a “series fund,” which is a mutual fund divided into separate portfolios, each of which is treated as a separate entity for certain matters under the 1940 Act and for other purposes. A shareholder of one portfolio is not deemed to be a shareholder of any other portfolio. For certain matters shareholders vote together as a group; as to others they vote separately by portfolio. To date, the Board has authorized the creation of one series of shares. All consideration received by the Company for shares of a series, and all assets in which such consideration is invested, will belong to that series (subject only to the rights of creditors of the Company) and will be subject to the liabilities related thereto. The income attributable to, and the expenses of, a series will be treated separately from those of the other series. The Company has the ability to create, from time to time, new series without shareholder approval.

     Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted under the provisions of the 1940 Act or applicable state law or otherwise to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company, such as the Company, will not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series affected by such matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a series shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each series in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of such series. Rule 18f-2 exempts the selection of independent accountants and the election of Board members from the separate voting requirements of the Rule.

     The Fund is intended to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not designated to provide investors with a means of speculating on short-term market movements. A pattern of

frequent purchases and exchanges can be disruptive to efficient portfolio management and, consequently, can be detrimental to the Fund’s performance and its shareholders. If Fund management determines that an investor is following an abusive investment strategy, it may reject any purchase request, or terminating the investor’s exchange privilege, with or without prior notice. Such investors also may be barred from purchasing shares of other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. Accounts under common ownership or control may be considered as one account for purposes of determining a pattern of excessive or abusive trading. In addition, the Fund may refuse or restrict purchase or exchange requests for Fund shares by any person or group if, in the judgment of the Fund’s management, the Fund would be unable to invest the money effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies or could otherwise be adversely affected or if the Fund receives or anticipates receiving simultaneous orders that may significantly affect the Fund. If an exchange request is refused, the Fund will take no other action with respect to the Fund shares until it receives further instructions from the investor. While the Fund will take reasonable steps to prevent excessive short term trading deemed to be harmful to the Fund, it may not be able to identify excessive trading conducted through certain intermediaries or omnibus accounts.

     Before June 24, 1996, the Company’s name was Dreyfus International Equity Fund, Inc.

     Effective November 15, 2002, the Fund changed its name from “Dreyfus Emerging Markets Fund” to its current name, renamed its existing shares “Class A shares” and commenced offering Class B, Class C, Class R and Class T shares. Effective June 1, 2007, the Fund’s “Class R” shares were redesigned as “Class I” shares.

     The Fund will send annual and semi-annual financial statements to all its shareholders.

COUNSEL AND INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

     Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, 180 Maiden Lane, New York, New York 10038-4982, as counsel for the Company, has rendered its opinion as to certain legal matters regarding the due authorization and valid issuance of the shares being sold pursuant to the Fund’s Prospectus.

     Ernst & Young LLP, 5 Times Square, New York, New York 10036, an independent registered public accounting firm, has been selected to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company.