Compiled and annotated by David W. Forbes Volume 3 comprises entries recording the last years of the rule of Kamehameha III, the reigns of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, and Lunalilo, and the first seven years of the Kalakaua era. During this period government was firmly established as a constitutional monarchy; the 1864 constitution of Kamehameha V increased the power of the monarch and remained in effect until 1887. Following the successful negotiation by the Kalakaua government of a reciprocity treaty with the United States in 1875, Hawai'i experienced great prosperity. At the same time, however, it came under increasing economic and social domination by American interests. As in the first two volumes, all books, pamphlets, single-sheet publications, and significant periodical articles have been included. Extensive annotations describe the more than 1,200 works listed, and the exact title, date of publication, size of the volume, collation of pages, number and type of plates and maps, references, and location of copies are given for each publication.

Recent classifications of Australian birds have been limited to lists of "species" which are inadequate as biodiversity indicators. The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines fills a huge gap in ornithological knowledge by separating out and listing not only 340 species of song-birds but also the 720 distinct regional forms. Covering about half the national bird fauna, the Directory provides science and the community with baseline information about what bird it is and where it lives in an Australia-wide context. Identity is taken down to the level of distinct regional population. No other compendium on Australian birds does this.