The invitation by the editors of the series "studies of brain function" to contribute a monograph on the visual cortex gives me the opportunity to present in a concentrated manner much of the work I have done on the visual cortical areas of cat and monkey. However, the field of visual cortical physiΒ ology is so active and so diverse that the presentation of only my own work would have given a very incomplete view of visual cortical functioning. Therefore this monograph also reviews most of the studies carried out on the subject in the last two decades. Where possible I have tried not only to describe the cortical machinery but also its possible functional purpose regarding vision. In doing this I have expressed my personal views rather than just reviewing the experimental facts. Much of the work presented in this monograph has been supported by the National Research Council of Belgium and the Research Council of the Catholic University of Leuven. I express my gratitude to them. I have enΒ joyed collaborating in these studies with P. O. Bishop, H. Kato, H. Kennedy, K. P. Hoffmann, H. Maes, J. Duysens, E. Vandenbussche, and H. van der Glas. I am much indebted to all those who have commented on earlier versions of this monograph: J. Allman, H. Barlow, J. BuBier, M. Callens, J. Duysens, O. J. Griisser, P. Heggelund, H. Kennedy, L. C. Orban and L. Palmer.