Abstract
This comprehensive, up-to-date account of vision in the pigeon begins with a description of the eye, its dimensions, and optical properties. The retina is discussed in considerable detail, with particular attention given to: the distribution of the various cell types within and across the retina, the number and the nature of the oil drops in the cones, the highly developed inner plexiform layer, the response characteristics of the ganglion cells, and the damage to cones caused by exposure to light. Lastly, the three major visual pathways are examined neuroanatomically and electrophysiologically. In the second section, several important issues have been emphasized: the putative differences between frontal and lateral vision, visual sensitivity to both discrete and periodic stimuli at various adaptation levels, polarotaxis in the pigeon, the bipartite spectral sensitivity of its retina, hue and saturation discrimination, sensitivity to ultraviolet light, panoramic acuity, and the detection of movement.
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References Notes
Marc, R. E. Personal communication, June 28, 1976.
Lockhart, M. Horizontal cells in pigeon retina. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Sarasota, Florida, April 1976.
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This report was prepared with the support of Grants 5T01 MH 11218 and 1T32 EY 07029, both from D.H.E.W. A list of permissions received for the reprinting of figures and tables is provided on page 437.
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Donovan, W.J. Structure and function of the pigeon visual system. Psychobiology 6, 403–437 (1978). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326748
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326748