<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 10/31/96
000 C000000 0000852204
000 D000000 Y
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 A
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001 C000000 6173751702
002 A000000 101 HUNTINGTON AVENUE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02199
002 D020000 7603
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
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007 C010200 2
007 C020200 JOHN HANCOCK DISCOVERY FUND
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007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK ADVISERS, INC.
008 B00AA01 A
008 C00AA01 801-8124
008 D01AA01 BOSTON
008 D02AA01 MA
008 D03AA01 02199
008 D04AA01 7603
011 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS, INC.
011 B00AA01 8-43582
011 C01AA01 BOSTON
011 C02AA01 MA
011 C03AA01 02199
011 C04AA01 7603
012 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK INVESTOR SERVICES CORPORATION
012 B00AA01 84-1885
012 C01AA01 BOSTON
<PAGE> PAGE 2
012 C02AA01 MA
012 C03AA01 02199
013 A00AA01 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
013 B01AA01 BOSTON
013 B02AA01 MA
013 B03AA01 02116
014 A00AA01 JOHN HANCOCK DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
014 B00AA01 8-13995
014 A00AA02 JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS, INC.
014 B00AA02 8-43582
014 A00AA03 TUCKER ANTHONY, INCORPORATED
014 B00AA03 8-24297
014 A00AA04 SUTRO & CO., INC.
014 B00AA04 8-7981
014 A00AA05 JOHN HANCOCK MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
014 B00AA05 8-15661
014 A00AA06 FREEDOM DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
014 B00AA06 8-37458
015 A00AA01 INVESTORS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
015 B00AA01 C
015 C01AA01 BOSTON
015 C02AA01 MA
015 C03AA01 02111
015 E01AA01 X
015 A00AA02 CITIBANK, N.A.
015 B00AA02 S
015 C01AA02 BUENOS AIRES
015 D01AA02 ARGENTINA
015 E04AA02 X
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015 B00AA03 S
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015 D01AA03 AUSTRALIA
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015 D01AA04 AUSTRIA
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015 D01AA06 BRAZIL
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
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015 D01AA07 CANADA
015 E04AA07 X
015 A00AA08 BANCO DE BOSTON
015 B00AA08 S
015 C01AA08 SANTIAGO
015 D01AA08 CHILE
015 E04AA08 X
015 A00AA09 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA09 S
015 C01AA09 SHANGHAI
015 D01AA09 CHINA
015 E04AA09 X
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015 D01AA10 COLOMBIA
015 E04AA10 X
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015 B00AA11 S
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015 D01AA11 DENMARK
015 E04AA11 X
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015 E04AA12 X
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015 B00AA13 S
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015 E04AA14 X
015 A00AA15 CITIBANK, N.A.
015 B00AA15 S
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015 D01AA15 GREECE
015 E04AA15 X
015 A00AA16 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA16 S
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015 D01AA16 HONG KONG
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
015 D01AA17 INDONESIA
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015 A00AA18 BANK OF IRELAND SECURITIES SERVICES
015 B00AA18 S
015 C01AA18 DUBLIN
015 D01AA18 IRELAND
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015 A00AA19 CITIBANK, N.A.
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015 D01AA19 ITALY
015 E04AA19 X
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015 B00AA20 S
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015 D01AA20 JAPAN
015 E04AA20 X
015 A00AA21 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA21 S
015 C01AA21 SEOUL
015 D01AA21 KOREA
015 E04AA21 X
015 A00AA22 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK MALAYSIA BERHAD
015 B00AA22 S
015 C01AA22 KUALA LUMPER
015 D01AA22 MALAYSIA
015 E04AA22 X
015 A00AA23 BANCOMER, S.A.
015 B00AA23 S
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015 B00AA24 S
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015 D01AA24 NETHERLANDS
015 E04AA24 X
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015 A00AA27 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
015 E04AA27 X
015 A00AA28 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
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015 D01AA28 PHILIPPINES
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015 A00AA29 CITIBANK PORTUGAL S.A.
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015 D01AA29 PORTUGAL
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015 E04AA30 X
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015 C01AA31 MADRID
015 D01AA31 SPAIN
015 E04AA31 X
015 A00AA32 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA32 S
015 C01AA32 COLOMBO
015 D01AA32 SRI LANKA
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015 D01AA33 SWEDEN
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015 A00AA34 BANK LEU LTD.
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015 D01AA34 SWITZERLAND
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015 A00AA35 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA35 S
015 C01AA35 TAIPEI
015 D01AA35 TAIWAN
015 E04AA35 X
015 A00AA36 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA36 S
015 C01AA36 BANGKOK
015 D01AA36 THAILAND
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015 A00AA37 CHASE MANHATTAN N.A.
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
015 A00AA38 BARCLAYS BANK PLC
015 B00AA38 S
015 C01AA38 LONDON
015 D01AA38 UNITED KINGDOM
015 E04AA38 X
015 A00AA39 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA39 S
015 C01AA39 SHENZHEN
015 D01AA39 CHINA
015 E04AA39 X
015 A00AA40 CITIBANK, N.A.
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015 C01AA40 CARACAS
015 D01AA40 VENEZUELA
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015 A00AA41 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
015 B00AA41 S
015 C01AA41 DHAKA
015 D01AA41 BANGLADESH
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015 A00AA42 CHASE MANHATTAN, N.A.
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015 D01AA42 CZECH REPUBLIC
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015 A00AA43 CITIBANK, RT.
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015 A00AA46 CITIBANK, N.A.
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015 D01AA46 PERU
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015 A00AA47 CITIBANK (POLAND), S.A.
015 B00AA47 S
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
015 B00AA48 S
015 C01AA48 CAPETOWN, PRETORIA
015 D01AA48 SOUTH AFRICA
015 E04AA48 X
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015 D01AA49 ZAMBIA
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015 A00AA50 CESKOSLOVENSKA OCHODNI BANKA, A.S.
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015 C01AA50 BRATISLAVA
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015 A00AA51 BARCLAYS BANK PLC/BRCLAYS BNK OF BOTSWANA LTD
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015 A00AA52 CHASE MANHATTAN, N.A./NATIONAL BANK OF EGYPT
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015 D01AA52 EGYPT
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015 A00AA53 BARCLAYS BANK PLC/BARCLAYS BANK OF GHANA LTD.
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015 C01AA53 ACCRA
015 D01AA53 GHANA
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015 A00AA54 BARCLAYS BANK PLC
015 B00AA54 S
015 C01AA54 HARARE
015 D01AA54 ZIMBABWE
015 E04AA54 X
015 A00AA55 CITIBANK, N.A.
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015 C01AA55 AMMAN
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
015 C01AA58 RABAT
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
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<PAGE> PAGE 10
051 00AA00 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 11
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<PAGE> PAGE 12
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<PAGE> PAGE 13
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<PAGE> PAGE 14
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<PAGE> PAGE 15
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SIGNATURE SUSAN S. NEWTON
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
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<NAME> JOHN HANCOCK DISCOVERY FUND - CLASS A
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<NAME> JOHN HANCOCK DISCOVERY FUND - CLASS B
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</TABLE>
