Treatment of a freshly-cleaved NaC1 surface with a solution containing 3 g HgCl2 per liter absolute ethanol results in typical inverted-pyramidal etch pits at the emergence points of dislocations. The pit sides are parallel to the [100] directions. There seems to be general agreement that crystal material at a dislocation emergence point has a higher dissolution rate than material at some distance from the emergence point. The role of the HgCl —the inhibitor—is not precisely understood; however, the literature suggests that the inhibitor is sorbed at certain sites near the emergence point and controls the rate of lateral and vertical dissolution. Since dissolution is the reverse of growth, removal of crystal material is thought to be on a monatomic scale.In this study freshly-cleaved NaCl surfaces were treated for various periods of time (1-30 sec) with ACS absolute methanol and with absolute methanol containing various concentrations of NH4Cl (1-20 g/1). Freshly-cleaved NaCl crystals were held with tweezers and swirled in the etchant for the designated time period.