  We have investigated the photoneutron cross section of the isotopes
$^{148,150}$Nd, $^{154}$Sm, and $^{154,160}$Gd close to the neutron emission
threshold in photoactivation experiments at the Darmstadt superconducting
electron linear accelerator S-DALINAC. Naturally composed targets were
activated with a high-intensity bremsstrahlung beam at various energies and the
reaction yields have been determined by measuring the activity of the produced
radioactive isotopes with HPGe detectors. The results are compared to two
different statistical model calculations.
