Purpose: To study the densities and distribution of retinal ganglion cells(RGC) in adult rat retinae with flurogold(FG) labeling retogradely.Methods: FG was injected to the superior colliculi(SC) and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei (dLGN) in adult rats and the retinae were examined by fluorescence microscopy at various periods of time.Results: FG-labelled RGC were observed in the retina as early as 3 days after application of FG. The labelled cells gradually increased in density, reached 95% of the maximal number on days 7 and the maximal number on days 30. The density of labelled cells was higher in the posterior pole than in the peripheral area. The fluorescence intensity in labelled cells maintained up to 60 days.Conclusion: The FG retrograde labeling method is reliable and effective for quantity of RGC. Eye Science 2000; 16:29 ～ 33.