20 MEMOIR OF THE LIPE OF JOHN HANCOCK, 



crowning act of his life's work, and that is that the Memorial 

 should consist of a sufficient sum of money, of which a few 

 hundred pounds have already been subscribed, to form a Mainte- 

 nance Fund, for keeping up the splendid building, and its 

 valuable contents in clue order, and for the acquisition and 

 preservation of new specimens as they may occur. 



In conclusion, it was one of John Hancock's desires that his 

 valuable collections should be utilized, together with the other 

 parts of the Museum, as a means for teaching every branch of 

 N'atural History.'^' 



The portrait of John Hancock at the head of this Memoir is 

 from a photograph taken by his friend Joseph W. Swan about 

 the year 1874. Twelve hundred copies of this portrait, printed 

 at the Photogravure "Works of Messrs. Annan & Swan, of Devon- 

 shire Eoad, South Lambeth, London, have been most handsomely 

 presented to the Natural History Society and Tyneside Natural- 

 ists' Field Club, for their joint Transactions, by their fellow- 

 member, Joseph "W. Swan, Lauriston, Bromley, Kent. 



For the following list of papers written and published by Mr. 

 John Hancock I am indebted to Mr. Joseph "Wright : — 



Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 



Remarks on the Greenland and Iceland Falcons, shewing they are distinct 

 species. II., 1839, pp. 241 — 250 ; and Brit. Assoc. Report, 1838, p. 

 106. 



Occurrence of Falco Islandicus? in England. II., p. 159. 



* Mr. Thomas Thompson, one of the Hon. Secretaries of the Tyneside Naturalists' 

 Field Club, sends the following anecdote, illustrative of John's knowledge of Bird 

 architecture. It occurred at his seat at Oatlands, when Mr. Thompson and another 

 friend of John's were visitors there. This friend one day expressed an earnest wish 

 to obtain the nest of a Chaffinch. They all went out and searched without success 

 the whole of the grounds, to the disappointment of the friend. In the evening John 

 said he would get up early next morning and try again. Accordingly he did so, went 

 out, and collecting moss, spiders' webs, hairs, and lichens, did his best to fabricate 

 a ChafSnch's nest, and returned to the house. The friend on coming down to 

 breakfast eagerly enquired, " Well, I hope you have got me a nest! " To this John 

 replied, "Just take a look into the lobby." He went, and came back delighted, ex- 

 claiming, " What a splendid one, too ! I am pleased. Many, many thanks ! " John 

 always enjoyed a joke, and this was one of his. The friend looked crestfallen when 

 the truth was confessed, for he considered himself quite a judge of such matters, and 

 was unaware of Mr. Hancock's manipulative dexterity. 



