Dragon's eggs are fireworks pyrotechnic stars which first burn for a period for a visual effect then explode with a loud report. Manufacture of this effect became controversial because of the heavy metals once used, particularly lead tetroxide (Pb3O4). Nowadays, however, bismuth trioxide or bismuth subcarbonate are commonly used as more environmentally friendly substitutes for lead compounds to achieve the effect, and its occurrence in fireworks displays has since become much more common. Because of its chemical makeup, a shell or cake containing mainly dragon's eggs is often noticeably heavier than a similar device containing other effects.
Famous quotes containing the words dragon and/or egg:
“Sir Eglamour, that worthy knight,
He took his sword and went to fight;
And as he rode both hill and dale,
Armed upon his shirt of mail,
A dragon came out of his den,
Had slain, God knows how many men!”
—Samuel Rowlands (1570?–1630?)
“If there was one egg in it there were nine,
Torpedo-like, with shell of gritty leather,
All packed in sand to wait the trump together.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)