The semiconductor CdSeS quantum dots (QDs) embedded in glass are analysed by means of absorption spectra,photoluminescence (PL) spectra and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. The peaks of absorption spectra shift to lower energies with the size of QD increasing, which obviously shows a quantum-size effect. Using the PLE spectra, the physical origin of the lowest absorption peak is analysed. In PLE spectra, the lowest absorption peak can be deconvoluted into two peaks that stem from the transitions of 1S3/2-1Se and 2S3/2-1Se respectively. The measured energy difference between the two peaks is found to decrease with the size of QD increasing, which agrees well with the theoretical calculation for the two transitions. The luminescence peak of defect states is also analysed by PLE spectra.Two transitions are present in the PLE, which indicates that the transitions of 1S3/2-1Se and 2S3/2-1Se are responsible for the defect states luminescence.