1. The Mg¥ block of Na¤ and Ca¥ currents through high-voltage activated (HVA; L_ and N_type) Ca¥ channels was studied in chick dorsal root ganglion neurones. 2. In low extracellular [Ca¥] (< 10¦Ì Ò) and with Naº and Cs¸as the main charge carriers (120 mÒ), HVA Na¤ currents started to activate at −40 mV, reached inward peak values near 0 mV and reversed at about +40 mV. 3. Addition of 30-500 ìÒ Mg¥ to the bath caused a strong depression of inward Na¤ currents that was voltage and dose dependent (KD = 39 ìÒ in 120 mÒ Na¤ at −10 mV). The block was maximal at negative potentials (< −70 mV) and decreased with increasing positive potentials, suggesting that Mg¥ cannot escape to the cell interior. 4. Block of Ca¥ currents by Mg¥ was also voltage dependent, but by three orders of magnitude less potent than with Na¤ currents (KD = 24 mÒ in 2 mÒ Ca¥ at −30 mV). The high concentration of Mg¥ caused a prominent voltage shift of channel gating kinetics induced by surface charge screening effects. To compensate for this, Mg¥ block of inward Ca¥ currents was estimated from the instantaneous I-V relationships on return from very positive potentials (+100 mV). 5. Inward Na¤ and Ca¥ tail currents following depolarization to +90 mV were markedly depressed, suggesting that channels cleared of Mg¥ ions during strong depolarization are quickly re-blocked on return to negative potentials. The kinetics of re-block by Mg¥ was too fast (< 100 ìs) to be resolved by our recording apparatus. This implies a rate of entry for Mg¥ > 1·45 ² 10Ì Ò¢ s¢ when Na¤ is the permeating ion and a rate approximately 3 orders of magnitude smaller for Ca¥. 6. Mg¥ unblock of HVA Na¤ currents at +100 mV was independent of the size of outward currents, whether Na¤, Cs¤ or NMG¤ were the main internal cations. 7. Consistent with the idea of a high-affinity binding site for Ca¥ inside the channel, micromolar amounts of Ca¥ caused a strong depression of Na¤ currents between −40 and 0 mV, which was effectively relieved with more positive as well as with negative potentials (KD = 0·7 ìÒ in 120 mÒ Na¤ at −20 mV). In this case, the kinetics of re-block could be resolved and gave rates of entry and exit for Ca¥ of 1·4 ² 10Ì Ò¢ s¢ and 2·95 ² 10 s¢, respectively. 8. The strong voltage dependence and weak current dependence of HVA channel block by divalent cations and the markedly different KD values of Na¤ and Ca¥ current block by Mg¥ can be well described by a previously proposed model for Ca¥ channel permeation based on interactions between the permeating ion and the negative charges forming the high-affinity binding site for Ca¥ inside the pore (Lux, Carbone & Zucker, 1990).