AbstractBitumen extracted from high‐moor peat has an ultra‐violet absorption maximum at 285 mμ. This has been used to follow the fractionation of a methanol‐soluble extract of the bitumen on an anion‐exchange column in the acetate form, with methanol, methanol acetic acid (3:1) and glacial acetic acid as eluants.The infra‐red spectra from 900 to 4000cm.−1 for high‐moor peat, its bitumen and bitumen fractions are also presented and discussed. The spectra suggest that passage of a methanol extract of peat bitumen down an anion‐exchange column in the acetate form gives a separation by which ethers, aliphatic esters and other weakly ionised substances are eluted by methanol. The more acidic eluants appear to release aromatic esters possibly containing phenolic and other acidic or ionisable groups.