Nearly brittle fracture of solids, that is, brittle fracture without appreciable plastic deformation has been divided into two types. One is low stress fracture in. nearly elastic large structures, which occurs before general yielding. The other is brittle fracture of small laboratory specimens below the ductility transition temperature, which occurs immediately after the general yeilding, or during yeilding and where microcracks are observed prior to fracture. The fracture is not considered in either case as consisting of a single process.