Lack of uniformity in colour matching.

Abstract

1. The fraction of red in a red--green mixture matched to yellow increased as the intensities of the match constituents were increased sufficiently to bleach appreciable chlorolabe and erythrolabe. 2. All changes in matching found for a given normal trichromat, (i) with increase in the intensities of the matching components, (ii) as a function of time after the onset of very intense components, (iii) with change in the pupil region through which light enters the eye, and (iv) with change in the region of the retina under test, are consistent with the assumption that matching depends upon the absorption of light in three kinds of (individually colour blind) cones, each with its own visual pigment, provided that the lambda max densities of the latter can vary in the range 0.25--1.0 (common logarithmic units) depending upon the subject. 3. Individual differences in matching among normal (as well as among both varieties of red--green anomalous) trichromats, on the other hand, suggest that the extinction spectra of the cone pigments sensitive to long and medium wave lengths may differ from one trichromat to the next.