Returned string[] question

I'm putting a script together to make geometry, and I've fallen at the first hurdle...

I wish to make a few arcs with the circle command, then loft them together. My problem is this:

The string[] returned from the circle command gives me "makeNurbCircle", not the actual object name, so when I come to loft, it's failing.

my commands are:

$circleNames=circle -c 0 0 0 -nr 0 0 0 -sw $degree -r $radius -d 3 -ut 0 -tol 0.01 -s 6;
$loftList="""+$circleNames[1]+""";
$circleNames=circle -c 0 0 0 -nr 0 0 0 -sw $degree -r $radOut -d 3 -ut 0 -tol 0.01 -s 6;
$loftList=$loftList+" ""+$circleNames[1]+""";

which gives me:

"makeNurbCircle.." "makeNurbCircle.."

as the $loftList contents.

Can someone tell me how do i receive the correct names?

cheers!

$circleNames[0]

its ALLWAYS the same... i fret over an answer, then give up, post the question here, and the next second I figure it out...

oh well.. on to hurdle number two...