The photopic spectral sensitivity of the dorsal and ventral retinae of the chicken

Summary The relative spectral sensitivities of the dorsal and ventral chicken (Gallus gallus) retinae were determined under photopic conditions by means of electroretinography and compared with data from the pigeon (Columba livid). Differences in spectral sensitivity between the dorsal and ventral chicken retinae appear only in the short wavelength range. In the chicken the dorsal retina is more sensitive to near UV light than the ventral retina relative to long wavelengths (beyond 470 nm), but both retinal areas are less sensitive to near UV than in the pigeon. The variation in relative near UV sensitivity is discussed in relation to recent data on the retinal distribution of different types of oil droplets in birds. The adaptive significance of near UV sensitivity is also discussed.