After briefly reviewing methods of microspectroscopy in which a small part of a surface is selectively sparked, a method of micro-drilling and introducing the samples into a d.c. arc between C electrodes is proposed. With a relatively slow Littrow quartz spectrograph and unconventional external optics particles of single metals down to 0.001 gamma in wt. may be recognised; Fe, Al, Cu, Cr, and Pb, are given as examples. The micro-drilling apparatus is briefly described and illustrated. It can be used, under a binocular miscroscope, to sample a single phase of a heterogeneous alloy; the drillings are collected with a greased fibre and transferred to the point of an electrode previously made tacky with cellulose cement. -- AATA -- AATA