The saltatory effect in vision.

Events in vision triggered by brief flashes in train prove to be strictly analogous to those generated in the skin by a succession of taps. A requisite condition for their appearance in vision is projection of the flashes into the peripheral retinal field. Experiments are described that establish the general relation between extent of saltatory leaping and degree of retinal eccentricity and between leaping and retinal subtense of stimulus patches. Additionally, a curious "dip" phenomenon and several qualitative experiments in which color has been used to "tag" the saltatory image are reported.