THE HANCOCK MUSEUM AND ITS HISTORY XV 



art. His talents, however, were little known outside his 

 immediate circle of friends, until in 185 1 he sent up some 

 masterly studies of birds of prey to the Great Exhibition in 

 Hyde Park. These studies will be found among the groups 

 in pedestal cases in the bird room at the museum ; they are 

 the laemmergeier or bearded vulture, and the three illustra- 

 tions of falconry. The number of those who can fully 

 appreciate any branch of art dealing with animal forms is 

 unfortunately small, but in London it was at once recognised 

 by the best judges that these works of Hancock's were on a 

 higher level than anything that had been achieved before; 

 and from that time his fame as a taxidermist steadily grew. 



John Hancock's great life work was the formation of the 

 magnificent collection of British birds which now constitutes 

 the most celebrated feature of the museum. It is undoubtedly 

 the finest and most complete collection of British birds to be 

 seen anywhere. It is especially remarkable for the fulness 

 with which all the different and puzzling stages of plumage 

 are represented — an important matter, because it is precisely 

 about these odd stages of plumage that information is most 

 often wanted. A number of the individual specimens also are 

 of special interest to ornithologists, as being the first, or almost 

 the first, of their kind recorded from Britain, or as having 

 formed the subject of original observations now become 

 classic. Another particularly valuable point about the 

 collection is the life-like manner in which Hancock has 

 succeeded in reproducing the character, form, and attitude of 

 the birds. The birds of prey especially — these were always 

 his favourite study — are an admirable series in every respect. 



Many birds in the collection recall the former ornithological 

 glories of Prestwick Carr. This expanse of water and marsh, 

 which used to cover the low land to the east of Ponteland, 

 was one of John Hancock's favourite haunts. It is now 

 almost completely drained and cultivated. Hancock did not, 

 however, confine himself entirely to his native district. As a 

 young man he made two long tours, in Norway and Switzer- 

 land, with his friend W. C. Hewitson, enlarging thereby the 



