In a cross-beam experiment electrons are scattered elastically from xenon atoms. The dependence of the relative cross section on collision energy over the range 2-300 eV and on scattering angle over the range 30 degrees -120 degrees is measured. Very satisfactory overall agreement is found with the experimental work of Mehr (1967), Jost and Heindorff et al. (1976). At angles below 50 degrees there are serious discrepancies between several experiments. The optical-model calculation of McCarthy et al. (1977) predicts the angular behaviour for energies of 100 eV and above. The comparison with calculations using a real potential shows that the calculation of Walker (1971), which includes exchange, is to be preferred over that of Fink and Yates (1970), which neglects exchange effects.