The low wavenumber spectra of fused quartz and crown glass K8 in the range 0.1-2 cm −1 at room temperature were measured by the four-wave mixing technique. The experimental scheme is based on using both second harmonics of a neodynium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd : YAG) pulsed laser and dye laser as a tuning source. The pulse-to-pulse deviation of the dye laser frequency is used to obtain the derivative spectra as an additional data source. It was established that the spectra contain a number of narrow (Ä0.1 cm −1 ) lines. The data could be fitted only by assuming that the Brillouin resonances on longitudinal and transverse sound, as well as the distinct resonances at ∼1.5 cm −1 , which can be attributed to hydroxyl (OH) molecular rotations, were involved in the four-photon scattering process. The fine structure of the Rayleigh wing scattering in fused quartz was observed for the first time. The detected lines, 0.165 cm −1 and 0.26 cm −1 (5.0 and 7.8 GHz, respectively), are attributed to the spheroidal modes n 20 and n 30 of SiO 2 spheres with a diameter 880 ± 30 nm. The closely lying eigen modes n 00 , n 10 and n 12 are unresolved with a central peak at ±0.1 cm −1 . The 0.4 cm −1 resonance lines in crown glass is attributed to be a manifestation of four-photon scattering from a second sound phonon.