A qualitative model describing the surface of rare earth metals with an uncompleted 4f electron shell (Ce-Yb) and the process of thermal evaporation from this surface is proposed. The model is based on a correlation established between the energies of the lowest-lying levels of the 4f(N-1)5d6s(2) configuration and the temperatures of equal saturated-vapor pressures of these metals. (C) 2003 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".