In fact, we make use of the animal not only as a variety of nutritious food, but also to enable us indirectly to utilize those vegetable products, such as grasses, which we could not make use of directly with our present digestive organs.
Head of Water.
200. The energy of a head of water, like that of fuel and food, is brought about by the sun's rays. For the sun vaporizes the water, which, condensed again in upland districts, becomes available as a head of water.
There is, however, the difference that fuel and food are due to the actinic power of the sun's rays, while the evaporation and condensation of water are caused rather by their heating effect.
Tidal Energy.
201. The energy derived from the tides has, however, a different origin. In Art. 133 we have endeavoured to show how the moon acts upon the fluid portions of our globe, the result of this action being a very gradual stoppage of the energy of rotation of the earth.
It is, therefore, to this motion of rotation that we must look as the origin of any available energy derived from tidal mills.
