In a previous article published in this review, in which we presented the results of a measurement of fast-neutron transmission through a polarized holmium target (1), we gave the general outline of a programme of investigation into nuclear shape by means of the interaction of neutrons with deformed oriented nuclei. In this article we shall present the first experimental evidence regarding the influence of the polarization of the target on the differential scattering cross-section of fast neutrons. This effect was brought to light through a measurement of the difference between the scattering cross-section of 2 MeV neutrons by a 165I-Io target polarized normally to the scattering plane and that of another identical but unpolarized target. The results have been compared to those obtained from an adiabatic coupled-channel calculation using the optical-model parameters obtained in one of our previous experiments on the scattering of neutrons by unpolarized holmium (2). The experiment was carried out in a very similar manner to the one described in ref. (1). By using the 5.5 MeV pulsed Van de Graaff accelerator at Legnaro, neutrons of 2 MeV energy and of about 100 kcV of energy spread were produced by (p, t) reaction in a gaseous t r i t ium target which was located in the centre of a cubic block of paraffin having a side of 0.5 m. A collimated neutron beam was obtained through a rectangular channel in the paraffin block. A counter aligned with the incident neutron beam was used as a monitor while the scattered neutrons in the horizontal plane were detected by a second counter. The proton beam pulsing tecniquc and the time-of-flight electronics were the same as those used in a previous experiment on scattering by unpolarized holmium (2). The time-of-flight base was 1.80 m. The target was a cylinder of polyerystalline hohnium, 3 cm in diameter, 2.5 cm high and 45 cm from the neutron source. The polarization of the target was obtained by cooling it down to a temperature of 0.36 ~ in a magnetic field of about 30 kG. The cryostat used for this purpose has already been described and is the same as the one used in measuring the deformation effect on the neutron-l~Ho total cross-section (1). The only change we made was to substi tute the magnet with a split-pair solenoid with