The activity, properties and developmental pattern of cysteine sulphinate decarboxylase (CSD) were studied in chick and rat retina. Retinal CSD shows properties similar to those of the enzyme in brain with respect to optimum pH, saturating substrate concentrations and stimulation by pyridoxal phosphate, CSD activity increased 3-fold from the 10th day of embryogenesis to hatching in chicks and in postnatal development in rats. The developmental pattern of CSD activity in both species is coincident with the functional maturation of visual function.