From Sally John
You offer a male perspective on gift giving, in which males offer gifts of higher value to the “other woman” (2 April, p 19). I suggest considering the described behaviour from the female’s position.
The value of offerings is likely to be a direct result of female choice when females demand gifts as a prerequisite to mating. The gift of a beetle may be acceptable from her long-term mate, but from a paramour she might sulkily hold out for a plump vole (chocolate-covered, preferably).
The reduced benefits of mating with a transient male, as compared to the male who helps to rear his offspring, suggest that females should demand gifts of higher value from males other than their long-term partners. Or: “diamonds from the lover, daffodils from the husband”.
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada
